How to make decisions in life?

Sometimes I write to explain. Today I'm writing to express.

It's always an interesting decision. Do we go with what other people who we love and respect are telling us, or do we follow our own gut, our own mind. What about if both decisions are in direct conflict? If we follow our own mind, we run the risk of denying the sound advice of our elders and then making big mistakes which we're fully responsible for. If we follow those who we love and respect, we run the risk of not choosing our own life and living in regret.

How does one decide what is the right or wrong thing to do? Is there such thing as making a right decision or a wrong decision? Some decisions cause us a lot of pain and create confusion, create wild emotions within us. Are such decisions wrong because of their effects on ourselves and others? Some decisions create harmony, peace, tranquillity. But are such decisions right, or are they just 'playing it safe?' and living an ordinary life within one's comfort zone?

Today, all these questions besiege me because I'm stepping out of my comfort zone. I've had the courage to venture out to discover a life completely free from the past. But with this discovery and freedom there is a price to pay. The price is the potential of loosing my values, my self-respect, those things which ground me. In a way, by venturing out beyond what is normal or ordinary, I am going back on everything I have built up so far, everything I have carefully crafted and designed, leaving it all behind. The price is potentially loosing everything, even myself.

But I have made a decision. My decision is that venturing out too far to a point of loosing all values, compassion and grace IS too far. Directly going against the words of those who we should trust, who are wiser than us, who have lived life - that really IS crossing the line. It's crossing the line because the word of those who are wise, our elders, our teachers, our guides usually do not have an agenda. Instead they have experience, they know where life is at and what life is about. They've made life work. Their words are true. Their words are for our ultimate benefit, our ultimate liberation (assuming you have a good teacher that is!).

So yes, I am choosing this today: Trust my heart, trust the Universe, be open in communication, be graceful, be compassionate. Let's see where this decision takes me. I'm comfortable with it.

Also, as a note to myself: Isn't it interesting how the Universe has a way of teaching a lesson? This time via an episode of Star Trek Voyager: Flesh and Blood I and II. Even if I temporarily turn my back on the Universe, or even my path, it continues to teach me compassionately. One thing I know for sure: The Guru's always got me, there's no turning back from that, once you're in His Grace, there's no turning back fortunately ;).