Look around. Millions of people within the United States of America feel as though the best way to solve a problem is be making a decision on the problem as soon as it arises. No matter your age, nationality, or background, being
impulsive can lead to unimaginable results, which will alter your life and lives
of many Americans. Being impulsive is being unconscious to the thought process.
When we act with out conscious thought , we become like that of a robot , with no true sense of direction. The unconscious individual becomes triggered, turned on and off like a switch by a statement, event, or things, whether the individual realizes it or not.
Truth be told, throughout history people have searched for answers in various ways to become conscious minded choice makers. Whether they are men or women who gravitate towards religion, prayer, meditation, individual therapy, group therapy, self-help materials or medication, these options can be ways
to support one’s ability to becoming conscious minded. Conscious minded choice makers make a choice not to make a decision until we have given ourselves time
and space to ask questions, collect the facts, and contemplate the issues, along with potential consequences so that we may make the best decision.
Are you an impulsive individual, or do you make a choice/decision to think things through?
For decades, I thought a conscious thought was any time I made
a choice/decision. I now believe a conscious thought is giving myself time and space to think rationally.
Looking around, I have noticed that patience has become one of the most
underdeveloped qualities we posses. In my opinion, the lack of this guality is directly linked to individuals being impulsive.
In 2009, I was sentenced to 25 Years to Life, for First Degree Murder, due to who I was, how I felt, and the choices and decisions I made. As a resident in prison, my circumstances have directly contributed to me developing
patience. Every day, someone else controls my daily functions in many regards.
I ma told what I must wear, when I can come out of the cell, which way I can walk, and how much time that I will have to eat my meals. Furthermore, there are limitations on how long I can experience a nice calm breeze on a sunny day, while the birds are chirping.
What would happen to you if you did not have some of the necessities you
have today? Would your comforts change? If you had no internet, cell phone,
computer, radio or television to entertain you. Would you begin to lose a piece
of your mind? Would the lonely evenings without a wife, husband, mother, father,
siblings, friends and home entertainment bring fear to the lonesome? Would you
exercise the unconscious mind, or would you become a conscious minded choice maker?
After 18 years of system impacted living, I have made the choice/decision to look at my experiences as an opportunity to become a conscious minded choice
maker, and through this I have nurtured a self-developed patience.
A few days ago, early in the morning while I was walking in the Chow Hall during breakfast, someone over my left shoulder asked if he could have the
tortillas on my tray. I made a choice/decision to continue walking without replying, when about five seconds later, another person on my right side asked if he could have the tortillas on my tray. As I was about to let the person on my right side know that I would be eating them, the person over my left shoulder grabbed the tortillas off of my tray. I instantly felt challenged and angry, and in the past I would have immediately assaulted the person that dared to touch my food! However, today in the year 2025, when this situation was taking place, I made the choice/decision to step back away from the situation, take a moment to inhale, and I remember having an internal dialogue, reminding myself that I have the power to increase, or decrease tension.
As I began to think about how I wanted to resolve this situation, the person on my right told the person to my left that those were his tortillas. Both of these individuals totally dismissed my presence as they focused on each other. I then made the choice/decision to walk away, and as I did, they started yelling at each other, drawing attention to themselves from other residents and staff.
As I walked towards my housing unit , I kept looking back thinking , ” Did that really just happen?” Although a part
of me was confused and upset, I also felt happy, I’d made a choice not to make a decision until I had gathered
myself, throttled time, and claimed the necessary space to fully exercise my thought process.
These experiences have directly helped me to develop my decision making skills and to then share them with others. I believe that in order to learn the process of becoming a conscious decision maker, we must be receptive to the notion that we possess the ability to change and transform ourselves into conscious decision makers.
