Three Teachings: Making Big Life Decisions

 

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March 27, 2025 Buddhist Wisdom on Making Big Decisions Do you ever feel paralyzed in the face of a big decision? So worried about the potential consequences that you can’t focus on the facts at hand, and then get turned around by overthinking?  In today’s world, the paradox of choice can be overwhelming. Buddhist wisdom would have us start with ourselves to find the clarity and moral framework to move forward. This means turning inward, practicing mindfulness, and letting answers arise. It means learning to respond, rather than react, and finding answers from the heart that have been there all along.  As meditation teacher Kaira Jewel Lingo writes, following the guidance of her teacher, Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, “Deeper life questions can’t be resolved at the level of the mind but must be entrusted to a different, deeper part of our consciousness.” This week’s Three Teachings offers three paths for finding, rather than forcing, an opening and a path forward on big or difficult decisions. For more on this topic, download Tricycle’s Daily Dharma app and find our Buddhist Guide to Making Big Life Decisions. Forward today's teachings to a friend » Trusting the Unknown By Kaira Jewel Lingo Read about the power of pausing, looking deeply, and letting your consciousness take time to find a way forward in this teaching by dharma teacher Kaira Jewel Lingo. Read more » Opening to Freedom With Sharon Salzberg Listen to a podcast episode with meditation teacher and author Sharon Salzberg explaining how breaking free of our habitual patterns presents a life of spaciousness and freedom. Listen now » How to Make a Decision When There Are No Good Choices By Yael Schonbrun See how the practices of acceptance, mindfulness, and clarifying values can help us navigate seemingly impossible situations in this teaching by clinical psychologist Yael Schonbrun. Read more »