Unintended Consequences!

I keep thinking about how our decisions (or non-decision) can have long term consequences. That every choice I make, every action I take should be thought through.

I was at an amazing meeting today and we talked about health collaboratives and the example was brought up that loose dogs effect the quality of life and can affect the outcome of diabetes.

I had to think about that a bit but it is true. While we love dogs, loose dogs can be unpredictable and make it difficult for people to walk.

Walking and physical exercise are one of the best things people can do to reduce stress and the risks associated with diabetes (in conjunction with disease management) .... so loose dogs in the neighborhood can have a direct effect on a mom's health!

There are so many decisions in life that have unintended consequences. An unkind word to a person that already had a bad day, a remark or a look to a teenager that pushes him further away, a free service that can hurt the self-esteem of the person.

We are faced with many 'loose dogs' or 'loose thoughts' that we need to keep in check, not because we don't like dogs, or we don't like to help but because we need to be careful in the unintended consequences.