Every. Decision. Matters. 

I posted that phrase earlier on my Facebook page and started thinking about it more.  Do you realize the truth of this?  I’m not sure any of us do.  I think we feel like many of our choices are essentially in a vacuum.  I don’t know that that’s ever true.

Usually, even the small choices we make have some kind of affect on any number of other people in our lives…even the insignificant ones (choices, not people).  Even if the choice seems as if it will only affect us, think about how many people YOU affect.  So, if a decision affects you, it in some way, small or large, changes you, therefore, impacting how you interact with those people with whom you have influence.  Make sense?

Reading some of the stories surrounding the sex scandal at Penn State brings that point home so clearly.  While this assistant coach is the one who did the dirty deed (understatement!!), look at how far reaching it’s impact is, to the point that the storied career of famed coach Joe Paterno will probably come to an abrupt and tarnished end very soon.  This wasn’t his choice.  Or was it? 

If the accounts are to be believed (and it’s hard to see how they aren’t), Paterno had knowledge of at least some of what was going on.  Did he report it?  Seems so.  Did he stop it?  Apparently not.  He made a choice…a decision, and that decision will probably cost him his career.  Worse, though, that decision led to the ongoing abuse of kids who desperately needed his help.  He chose to look the other way for reasons we can only guess, but are probably pretty evident.  He chose…poorly. 

Every decision really does matter.