The Indecisive Squirrel

A story about the consequences of being dubious:

Colby was a small squirrel who lived in the city. He was born in the city but spent most his time growing up in the park. However, as Colby got older he continued to push his way towards the outermost reaches of the park. One day while sitting up in a tree, Colby heard this loud clattering noise. He climbed to the highest perch in the tree and stood in udder amazement.  He saw large buildings, people rushing around and cars speeding up and down the streets. Colby’s curious side took over and he decided he had to get a closer look. Colby crawled to the parks edge and sat on the edge of the sidewalk looking at all of the cars zooming up and down the road. Colby knew he was very fast and figured he could make it across the multiple lanes of traffic as long as he chose the right moment. He waited for just the right time and then sprinted across the street. Suddenly, a giant semi-truck appeared out of nowhere and Colby froze in fear. Colby panicked and started to scramble left then right. He couldn’t make up his mind whether he should head back to the park or press on to the other side of the street. The truck was speeding toward Colby, yet he kept scrambling right then left remaining in the middle lane right in the truck’s path. The truck swerved to try and miss the little squirrel, causing the truck to slam into the car to his right. But it was no use. The truck ran right over Colby ending his life.

This story has a sad ending, true. But the lesson in this story is solid. If Colby had made a decision and stuck with it, everyone would have been fine. However, Colby was so worried about which was the right decision; he essentially made no decision, which had dire consequences for all involved.

All of us have made bad decisions in our lifetime. However, the key point is that we made a decision. Don’t waste time worrying about what is the right decision or the wrong decision. Gather all of your information, weigh your options, and if you still can’t decide-- flip a coin and move on. As Dee Snyder said, “Make your choice now, for tomorrow may be far too late!”

 Once you have made your decision let it go and take comfort in knowing that you made the best decision you could at that time, knowing all the information you had at that moment. If time proves it was a bad decision, you have nothing to feel bad about. Henry Link put it best: “While one person hesitates because he feels inferior, the other person is busy making mistakes and becoming superior.” Make your choice now, dart for the finish and never look back.