Much more direct than I use to be

I am much more direct than I used to be. I don't know if it has come with age, marriage, subjecting temperament weaknesses to the control of the Holy Spirit, or something else, but I am less inclined to let things happen and more inclined to let people know exactly what I am feeling. The other night the person we are working with to continue to get our finances in order was giving me some direction that I was not inclined to take. Rather than saying, "I'll think about it and get back to you" or, even worse, "I'll do that" I flat out said, "I don't want to do that, I want to do this". It even took my wife back a bit and she was happy that I handled it that way rather than any other. I was too, actually, and we hammered out a plan that I am very happy with rather than one that would, at best, be mediocre.

That is something I need to do more and more. I need to emphatically say yes when I agree and no when I need to. It is only fair to the person that I am interacting with, the people I am in charge of, and to myself. It makes me feel good as well knowing that I can not only make decisions but make unpopular ones that fly in the face of the stated desires of others. Of course I strive for the win-win situation as often as I can because I think that type of outcome is, usually, the one the one that God desires. But if the wise path causes someone to lose than so be it. They lose.

The wise way is too important to ignore. It stings too much when I brush it aside. And it subjects even the ones I love to injury as well. That's much too high of a price.