Make Your Own Decisions (1951)

[Music] and what happens if we don't make our own decisions let's see oh hi sis can i go to the show with tom and chuck michelle well i don't know you don't know mom said i should check with you when she's not home yes but the show you might get home late mother'd be mad of course if you went right away but it's a double feature come on sis make up your mind the kids are waiting well can i go or can't i no then you can't go to the show and don't ask me again okay jane i'll just play ball for a while instead okay yes i'll be home in time for supper hello about friday night i'll be there you can count on me bye and when you do make your own decisions you feel good even if your decisions are not the best they give you a sense of assurance you do make some of your own decisions and as you grow and mature you'll be making more of them i'm glad you're thinking about that jane and while you're about it you really ought to decide about your summer vacation summer vacation i talked to mr rugen today and he says he can give you a job in a store this summer if you wanted a job i but jane you were talking about taking that special art course this summer have you decided about that well no not exactly that is a job art course i'm sort of confused i just don't know mom what should i do ha ha ha brother mother i'm not a baby anymore [Music] i'm not a baby anymore run to mother after all i'm not a baby anymore i'm not a baby anymore i'm not a baby anymore [Music] can you make your own decisions decisions you can live with do you know how perhaps if you think about decisions think about people you've seen making decisions bill sometimes decides things but somehow that doesn't seem a very grown-up way of making decisions think of someone else think of martha and how she decided what courses to take shall i register you for the commercial law course next year what other choices do i have well what choices do i have let's figure this out perhaps you can write down some of these ideas let's see whenever you have to make a decision ask yourself what choices do i have make sure you know the alternatives and find out as much as you can about each then what else should you ask before you make a decision oh say tom are you going out for the team this year well i don't know how soon do i have to decide well we're gonna start how soon do i have to decide that's a good question to ask yourself make it when should i decide for some decision should be made immediately and disposed of others may better be delayed until you can think them through enough and there's another important question to ask see if you can find it here well i i guess they fit and they certainly do look nice but um will they wear well why yes the sole german did you find the next question to ask yourself before you make a decision it's this what information do i need you'll want to be sure you have all the important facts bearing on your decision you'll want to weigh those facts sometimes you'll want the advice and opinions of others but there's still another step as jane thinks through another incident see if you can discover the final step in making decisions all right are we agreed then that we do want to have decorations at the party yes fine well let's get started then what is the final step in making a decision decide then act for what is a decision without action let's see what are those steps now ask yourself what choices do i have when should i decide what information do i need finally decide then act on your decision let's see how well jane applies these steps dan oh yes jane what is it dear about that job well i think i should consider all the choices for a summer vacation don't you well yes i think you have to do that if you expect to make the right decision what choices do you have dear what choices do i have well there's a job there's that special art course and there's an opening for an assistant camp counselor or i could just load now is mama what to do it would be enough dale but mom i do want your advice only first i think i should know when i have to make the decision i've got about a month to think about the other things but well when do i have to decide about the job at mr rugen store well he'll want time to find someone else if you don't want the job i should think you'd want to know by monday at least but will that be long enough to hear i think so but i'd like to know more about that job i want to make the best decision i can of the time i have after all i'm gonna have to live with it all summer long i think i'll go down and talk to mr rugen tomorrow yes there are skills for making your own decisions they're not easy at first but with each decision you make you will learn something that will help you with the ones ahead learn to obtain the important information for each decision you make be sure you have enough information on the various alternatives obtain your information and your advice as soon as possible giving yourself the time you need to think through all the possibilities weigh the choices and decide when you have decided take action for whether your decisions are the best ones or not they're yours keep them your own accept responsibility for them you'll be a more mature person and a happier one as you learn to make your own decisions [Music] you