Title of Tip: Listen, Think, Decide
Name: David Godson, 46
Statement: If someone is talking to you and you don’t like what they are saying, think before you react because you might make a better decision. The consequences of not thinking could be severe. You could hurt someone, or they could hurt you. Consider if what they are saying or doing will cause you harm. Most of the time, they are just words that mean nothing. Listen clearly to what is being said before deciding. If you feel uneasy in a situation and start feeling big emotions, just get up and out of there. If it’s not making sense, all you need is some distance, and it will work itself out. Sometimes, people talk fast, thinking they can trick you out of something. Don’t get hooked by them. I know it’s hard in the heat of the moment, but what are the options? React, and you might end up in jail or worse.

Instructions: Listen, think, decide—one, two, three—and then act. Listen to what a person is saying, and then think of the good and bad of it. If you feel something is good and it’s legal or makes sense, decide to do it. Thinking will help you determine. Ask yourself, What if this happened? How would this happen? What if I do this? What if I hurt somebody? The best way is not to react quickly.
Learning: I didn’t grow up thinking. I used to do silly stuff with my life. I drank a lot. I was an alcoholic, and I liked that money. I didn’t think about the consequences, like what would happen if I got caught. My kids were in and out of my life because of my behavior. Missing out seeing them grow up wasn’t worth what I was doing. So, I made a change and now regularly think before acting. I ask myself all the time if I should go that way. I know better now.Story: Say I return to my old neighborhood, and I’m at a party, and somebody says, Aye, man, take a drink. I know better, so I have to stop and think. This guy keeps coming at me, What’s the big deal, but I know once I drink, it’s over. I will go from doing better to back to messing something up in an instant because it’s bound to happen; it always happens. That’s a scenario I am trying to duck now. I go to places I shouldn’t be and know how I will react to people. The best thing is to avoid those environments because I know myself. When you’re an alcoholic, it just takes a bad day. That’s why if I’m in a situation, I say think first and get out of it. This is not what I want to be doing.