You Have it Within You

“Common sense has a calming effect.”

Dave Ramsey

You Have it Within You

My phone was ringing and as I looked at the caller I.D. I saw a familiar number flash across the screen.  It was one of my Clients.  We were in the middle of negotiating the sale of her home and I knew she had the counter offer that I had emailed to her, but I didn’t expect to hear the words that came into my ears.

“She told my husband that we couldn’t accept any offer until we were finished working with her.”  She ended with, after a lengthy explanation of their involvement with a mortgage modification company.

I felt hot inside.  It was the kind of feeling I get when I see something amiss; where I see someone trying to take advantage of someone else!  I took deep long breaths.  It took me three or four such breaths before I could speak evenly.

“What she’s telling you isn’t correct.” I said.

“That’s what I thought!  It’s one of those things that when it sounds too good to be true, it is!” She confidently responded.

I could hear the strength of her voice as she spoke now.  She was no longer speaking in hurried, breathless tones.  She was the intelligent, confident woman I had known for quite some time.  I felt reassured in my faith.

This conversation caused a flood of other memories to rush into my mind.  It was as if a dam had been breached and the water couldn’t be stopped.  You know what I mean; one moment the memories weren’t there and then all of a sudden there are hundreds of them all at once.  I’ve never been able to understand how there can be so many at once; while each one is still individually perceptible!  And, the wonderful thing is that each ended in the same way.  Common sense ruled in the end.  Before the end though, there was always a lot of confusion and its associated upset.

It happens to all of us at one time or another and even the most emotionally stable will have cause to ask, “Do I have enough common sense to sort through this?”

The answer is most assuredly YES!  You have it all within you!  But, if you ever need a little help just give it the “Two-Plus-Two-Test.”  One of my friends taught me this to me and it has never failed.

When you’re presented with information about a certain subject and you are a little overwhelmed with all of the data and its logical conclusion simply review the “math” in your head.  Ask yourself, “If I add one plus one do I get two as the conclusion?  If I then add two plus two do I get four as the conclusion?

I know you can do this math!  It just takes a short minute and it allows your built-in common sense to take what was once confusing and give you a feeling of warming calm inside.  So, give it a try; common sense really does have a calming effect!