“While we are free to choose our actions, we are not free to choose the consequences of those actions. Consequences are governed by natural law. They are out in the Circle of Concern. We can decide to step in front of a fast-moving train, but we cannot decide what will happen when the train hits us.
We can decide to be dishonest in our business dealings. While the social consequences of that decision may vary depending on whether or not we are found out, the natural consequences to our basic character are a fixed result.
Our behavior is governed by principles. Living in harmony with them brings positive consequences; violating them brings negative consequences. We are free to choose our response in any situation, but in doing so, we choose the attendant consequence. “When we pick up one end of the stick, we pick the other.”” | Stephen Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
I think of this idea* from time to time. Natural consequences – both good and bad – don’t always play out in short order or the timeline we might expect.
But, over a long enough horizon, they do.
When we pick up one end of the stick, we pick the other.
*I was about to start this post with “One of my favorite ideas from Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits is….” I paused because I find myself saying that often. Another reminder of many of the sheer depth of impact the book has had on me.
