 In this Bill Seavey Ministries International article, we look at how coming to ones own conclusion about a matter can be very difficult, especially if we let others influence us to the point that it is their conclusion and not ours. Now what does the word conclusion mean? Here is what Webster says.
1. A conclusion is the last step in a reasoning process. So being a product of our own conclusion is a process involving certain steps.
2. A conclusion is a decision or judgment formed after investigation or thought. The process then involves an investigation of the facts.
3. A conclusion is the last of a chain of events, an outcome, hopefully favorable. The process brings on a chain of events during the investigation.
4. A conclusion is an act or instance of concluding.
5. A conclusion is a final arrangement.
6. A conclusion is a closing; ending something.
Webster also says this about the word product.
1. It’s a result
2. It’s something produced
So the product, or end result of something, is directly related to one’s conclusions having been made after having gathered all the facts. A conclusion made is the last of a series of steps made to bring you to the end product or result. If the end result of an action taken wasn’t to your liking then perhaps you didn’t take the steps necessary to bring about a desired result or finished product. You circumvented all the legwork hoping to get to your destination quicker. A straight line to a destination is not always the way to go and it is not always shorter. Sometime the long way around is better because it gives you time to think.
Many people come to life’s conclusions without having done their homework. They have not gathered the facts. They have not considered the end result or product produced. A duck hunter I once knew concluded that all he had to do was point his shotgun skyward, pull the trigger and he would hit something such as a duck. Ninety-nine percent of the time, he hit nothing. The one percent was pure luck. What was his problem? He never thought of the end result. After all, how could he possible miss? All that birdshot and all those ducks…”gotta hit something if I just aim in the general direction of the flock.” This is the philosophy of many today. Observation - We have too many ‘duck hunters’; People aiming at something but hitting nothing. Conclusion – If it isn’t working, aim at a different target.
What are the steps necessary to bring about a desired result, a conclusion, and one that you are satisfied with; one that you can live with? Here are just a few of those necessary steps..
First, get out from under any pressure that might push you in the wrong direction. Don’t come to a conclusion just because someone says the sale ends at midnight. You gotta be smarter than that.
Second, gather all the wisdom you can. Read the books, go to the workshops and seminars, watch the training videos, and listen to informative audiotapes. Hear the sermons and sit in on the Sunday school lessons. Gather all the wisdom you can from other people. This is called a process; an investigation of the facts to learn all you must know to come to a definite conclusion.
Third, go through the process, not around it. Short cuts usually do not work.
Fourth, do it to please you. When you are pleased with the results, others will be pleased, that is, those who care.
Fifth, don’t be a product of someone else’s decisions for your life.
Have you ever made a snap decision just to please others? Have you ever gone places that you did not want to go? Have you ever done something just to please another?
Be what you were created to be. Don’t be pressured into snap decisions. Take the space that you need to follow your own dreams not that of others. It pays great dividends.
Don’t let life run you. You run it. Take charge of your life. It is your life and it was given at great expense.
Do you remember this little song? Row, row, row, your boat gently down the stream. Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream. Notice that the boat is to be rowed down stream with the current, not against the current. When you row your own boat, you go with the currents of life. When you let someone else do it for you, you are going against the currents of life. So, row your own boat of life. Notice also that the boat is to be rowed gently down the stream. Never rush the process of learning. If you do, you will miss the merriment and joy of life. The song says we merrily and gently row our boat of life. DON’T ROCK THE BOAT OF LIFE. YOU’LL CAPSIZE!
Play the music that you hear on the inside of you because someone needs to hear your song. You can’t play someone else’s song for your life.
One parting thought. DON’T JUMP TO CONCLUSIONS!
The Best of Success to You,
Dr. Bill Seavey
Founder - BSMI
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