Wife and I were on vacation with my family and we were enjoying a wonderful meal of seafood out on the porch overlooking the coast. One of my good friends lived nearby and we invited him over for dinner. It was a fantastic time!

While eating, though, I suddenly felt a large fish bone lodge itself sideways in my throat, quite painfully. Not cool!

Just then, a phrase from Andy Andrews, my favorite author, popped into my mind, “Just do something!”

I tried drinking something. I tried coughing. I tried swallowing.

No result. At this point, my throat was hurting something fierce.

I explained my situation in a couple of words and left the table, headed for a quiet place to think. Now what? What are my options? Here was my thought process:

• I could call for an ambulance, which would keep me in increasing pain until it arrives. Next!
• Note to self: Avoid doing this again by taking smaller bites. And start chewing more instead of trying to swallow things whole like a barbarian.
• I could try to make myself throw up and hope it would dislodge the fish bone from my throat. Better, but is there anything else?
• Or, I could reach into the back of my throat and pull it out with my fingers — good enough!

My thoughts took place in the two seconds before I decided to just do something! Without anything better to do, I chose to act, and quickly.

I nearly swallowed my hand as I reached far into my throat to feel for the thin bone while fighting my gag reflex. I maneuvered my fingers until they were grabbing it. Then I pulled out the bone.

Though very sore and now red in the face, I instantly felt much better! (Imagine that…)

Only afterward did I stop to think about how quickly it all happened. The only real decision was to just do something. And do it fast!

To determine the best option, I could have formed a quick committee at the dinner table. I could have thoroughly explained my situation and my concerns about it. I could have asked for everyone’s input on the available options. I could have taken a vote to see what the consensus is on the best option available.

But that would have taken forever. And it would have been very painful for me. And it would have been completely unnecessary.

It would have been stupid.

Yet this is what we do all the time.

We hem and haw, we stall, and we discuss the details, options, and concerns with those options until we are blue in the face. Instead of just wasting our own time, we waste everyone’s time!

When really, there is no need for any discussion.

Maybe my decision wasn’t the best choice available. But it worked.

Just do something.

Start there.