Driving home from dinner last night here in Newport Beach California with Jonathon and Di Wilson.
We came to an intersection and Jonathon swerved left into the centre lane and quickly asked Di – do we turn here at La Paz. Di casually consented yes and kept on twittering on her Blackberry. Ten minutes later we had to do a U turn and go all the way back to the other freeway and then turn off a different exit.
All because someone gave casual consent to an important question.
Be very careful when asked to give your consent or approval to something.
So often people are looking for approval for actions they are very uncertain about, or they even know it is wrong, but they want someone to tell them it is okay.
Make sure you say what you mean when asked for approval, as casual consent can send people a long way down the wrong road in life.
These days the La Paz Syndrome is rampant as people easily give casual consent to anything.
Often the only sign posts in life are those people willing to stand up for what they believe.
Be prepared to stand as a beacon for what is right. Don’t give casual consent to things through lack of interest – and don’t be so engaged in your own little world that you respond to other peoples requests in a half hearted manner.
I find people are looking for directions in life. In a morally confused world people are asking questions and they deserve more than a casual consent response.
Make sure when someone casually asks you a life question – you do more than send them down the La Paz freeway. Give them your best and offer the right directions to get them to an eternal destination for which they will thank you forever.
And most of all be very careful when asking a woman for directions.
