Wise Decisions

Foreword

This is the first book foreword I've ever written, and I do so at the age of 90 because I wholeheartedly believe its pages hold life‐changing wisdom and perspective. Wise Decisions contains something not just for certain people, but all people, because it's our everyday decisions, whether large or small, that ultimately determine how we show up in life.

The pages ahead lay out a roadmap for building and strengthening our decision‐making capacities, supporting us in making the kinds of choices that stand the test of time. Importantly, walking our talk with the young people in our lives, whether our children, students, athletes, grandchildren, or simply multigenerational friends, teaches them by example how to make thoughtful, intentional choices, offering them a priceless gift that will shape their life trajectories in unforeseeable yet powerful ways across time.

As I read through this book for the first time, I reflected more deeply on the people and experiences that shaped my own decision‐making process, and what became clear was simply this: just about everything I needed to know about making wise and thoughtful choices was taught to me by my grandfather during childhood hikes in the mountains of North Carolina.

Despite being an outsized force in our community, my grandfather embodied the values of kindness, respect, integrity, and service always and without exception. Not once did I see him display arrogance, anger, or act in a demanding way. He showed up for others, ...