Cool Heads and Warm Hearts
by Steve Goodier
If you've ever struggled making the right decision, you may appreciate this
story:
A young man seemed to take an unusually long time to place his order at the
flower shop. When the clerk asked how she could help, he explained that his
girlfriend was turning 19 and he couldn't decide whether to give her a dozen
roses or 19 roses -- one for each year of her life.
The woman put aside her business judgment and advised, "She may be your
19-year-old girlfriend now, but someday she could be your 50-year-old wife."
The young man bought a dozen roses.
My wife Bev understands that logic. As part of our anniversary tradition, which
usually includes an evening out and sometimes a night away from home, I also buy
her a single rose.
I made that decision on wedding anniversary number one. But it wasn't easy. My
heart argued for giving her one rose the first anniversary, two roses on the
second, and so forth. But my head argued that, in twenty or thirty years, a
roomful of roses would not mean as much as something simpler -- not to mention
the cost! In the end, my heart and head reached a compromise.
So I buy the one special rose every wedding anniversary and then we treat
ourselves to a wonderful and romantic evening away. Over the years, Bev has
dried every anniversary rose and saved the petals in a decorative jar.
The roses helped teach me something about making decisions. Any kind of
decision. I've discovered that good decisions are made with both my head and my
heart. Together, cool heads and warm hearts can solve most any problem. A cool
head asks the hard questions. A cool head thinks it through. A cool head
objectively weighs the options.
But a warm heart asks the tender questions. A warm heart considers feelings and
relationships. A warm heart asks what feels right.
Making the right decision is often difficult. And it seems we never have enough
information when we need to decide. But the best decisions are made from both a
cool head and a warm heart. It usually takes both of them to get it right.
Steve Goodier
Publisher@LifeSupportSystem.com is a professional speaker, consultant and
author of numerous books. Visit his site for more information, or to sign up for
his FREE newsletter of Life, Love and Laughter at
http://LifeSupportSystem.com.