I recently read Andy Stanley’s new book Better Decisions, Fewer Regrets. Andy shares heartwarming lessons that he learned from his father Dr. Charles Stanley. 

Andy also cites practical scriptures that support the five questions in his book. Scriptural examples from Jeremiah, Joseph, Saul, David, Paul, and Jesus reinforce the question topics.

The questions focus on integrity, legacy, conscience, maturity, and relationship. These meaty topics serve to elevate our decisions before making important choices.

Here are some of my favorite quotes from the new book.

I should have asked more questions.

This sounds like a statement of regret. But, it’s a great reminder that knowing more about a situation helps us to make more informed, wise decisions.

Regret and disappointment aren’t the only things spilling out of your decision pipeline. Your greatest joys and accomplishments are as well.

I appreciate the realistic nature of these statements. There is both good and not-so-good in our story. Regardless, we are the ones that write our story. That power lies with us.

You’ve done more to undermine your own success and progress than anyone on the planet.

This statement promotes personal accountability. No blaming. No excuses. The converse is true. We also have the capacity to aid our success and progress.  

Most of us want to be proven right more than we want to know what’s true. We aren’t on truth quests. We’re on confirmation quests.

This assertion challenges us to be honest with ourselves. Honesty with ourselves is the beginning of broad-scale honesty.

One of the most significant things he did was to lie down beside us at night as we were drifting off to sleep.

Andy speaks of his father in this statement. It’s a beautiful example of a strong parent-child relationship. It fosters meaningful and memorable conversations. I find it fascinating that such a simple act brings about such important results.

If something bothers you, let it bother you.

I appreciate that this comment seems to go against conventional wisdom. Generally, we don’t wish to be bothered. So, we push the feeling aside. But this very feeling is a tension indicator. If we pay attention to the tension, we are well-positioned to address it. Eventually, we will make a better decision than we might have had we ignored what was bothering us.

Drawing our lines, setting our limits, establishing our moral and ethical standards on the borderline between right and wrong, legal and illegal, healthy and unhealthy eliminates any margin for error.

Living on the edge is risky. It’s akin to playing with fire. The fall is inevitable. Getting burned is unavoidable. Living a life full of sound decisions depends upon a margin of error.

We are all tempted at times to ask or wonder how little we can get by with relationally…the very thing we don’t want the person on the other side of us to consider.

Scarcity vs. plenty.  Immaturity vs. maturity. Functional and fulfilling relationships depend on unquantifiable amounts of giving. This is what love requires of us.  

Better Decisions, Fewer Regrets contains many thought-provoking, possibly life-changing stories, and lessons.  Allow the questions in it to transform your thinking and thereby your life.

Aimee Zahora, Owner at Aim Higher Now, enjoys the opportunity to read new books that transform mindset.