Bishop T.D. Jakes’ latest book, Before You Do: Making Great Decisions That You Won’t Regret is a must read for understanding personal relationship decision-making.
Bishop T.D. Jakes’ latest book, Before You Do: Making Great Decisions That You Won’t Regret is a must read for understanding personal relationship decision-making.
The impact of our relationships with friends, spouses, business associates and others will have a significant impact on our future success or failure. However, many of our personal associations are a result of either proximity, the heat of the moment, expediency or some other seemingly random occurrence.
Before You Do provides a context and process for understanding and carefully developing personal relationships that can endure and help one attain their mission in life.
Importance of decision making
Explaining the importance of relationship decision making, in chapter one, Bishop Jakes writes, “I can trace every success or failure in my life back to something I did or didn’t decide effectively. Whether in the course of developing relationships, doing business, selecting investments or accepting invitations, I’ve found a direct correlation between my location on life’s highway and my decisions to turn, exit, stop or start. Extenuating circumstances beyond my control were always involved, yet more times than not, I was a victim or victor of my own making, achieving or failing because I did or did not put in place the necessary prerequisites to accomplish my desired goals.”
“Relationship decisions are among the most opportune choices in our life, and I remind you that no other leaves as many footprints alongside your own on life’s journey as those you make to unite yourself with another person emotionally, sexually, spiritually.”
Components of relationship decisions
Jakes outlines the five crucial components of relationship decision making and throughout the book further explains and gives examples to support each of the components.
• Research: Gathering information and collecting data
• Roadwork: removing obstacles and clearing the path
• Rewards: listing choices and imagining their consequences
• Revelation: narrowing your options and making your selection
• Rearview: looking back and adjusting as necessary to stay on course
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