Welcome to our ADULT LIFE DECISIONS Series. These posts are about the adults in the lives of children because children deserve caring, healthy adults taking care of them. It is designed to help adults become more aware of their own potential as they strive to make the best lives possible for themselves and their children. Each posting will explore life decisions adults are faced with and how they can update those decisions to be sure they are helpful to them in their current life circumstances. 

To get the most from this post …

READ FIRST the earlier posts:  

• Recycling

• Eight Adult Life Decisions

• Your “Best Fit” Life Decision Area

• Successful Recycling

Belief Systems = Helpful Life Decisions

Belief systems are the foundation for making helpful life decisions. What you believe about yourself, others, and the world around you dictate the life decisions you are likely to make.

What is a belief system made up of?

1. FATE – circumstances you come into the world with – the era you are born in, gender, ethnicity, location in the world, etc.

2. GOOD THINGS that happen to you in life – having adults around you that understand children, getting a good  education, forming a positive relationship with a partner in life, etc.

3. BAD THINGS that happen to you in life – experiencing a disaster, becoming ill, losses of loved ones, financial crises, etc.

And lastly and most importantly …

4. DECISIONS you make about the above parts of a belief system

Each person is responsible for building his or her own belief system. Because a belief system is basically a decision a person makes, it is by definition a personal, internal product. No one else can dictate it or build it for you.

However, others can support a person in building a strong, healthy belief system by using helpful communication that invites and encourages helpful life decisions.

Next week’s post will discuss the role of communication in supporting yourself and others in making helpful life decisions. 

This posting is inspired by and adapted from Jean Illsley Clarke’s copyrighted books.

Do not distribute or duplicate without permission.