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Life
is About Choices and the Decisions We Make
Life is like a road. There are long and short roads; smooth and
rocky roads; crooked and straight paths. In our life many roads would come our
way as we journey through life. There are roads that lead to a life of single
blessedness, marriage, and religious vocation. There are also roads that lead to
fame and fortune on one hand, or isolation and poverty on the other. There are
roads to happiness as there are roads to sadness, roads towards victory and
jubilation, and roads leading to defeat and disappointment.
Just like any road, there are corners, detours, and crossroads in life. Perhaps
the most perplexing road that you would encounter is a crossroad. With four
roads to choose from and with limited knowledge on where they would go, which
road will you take? What is the guarantee that we would choose the right one
along the way? Would you take any road, or just stay where you are: in front of
a crossroad?
There are no guarantees.
You do not really know where a road will lead you until you take it. There are
no guarantees. This is one of the most important things you need to realize
about life. Nobody said that choosing to do the right thing all the time would
always lead you to happiness. Loving someone with all your heart does not
guarantee that it would be returned. Gaining fame and fortune does not guarantee
happiness. Accepting a good word from an influential superior to cut your trip
short up the career ladder is not always bad, especially if you are highly
qualified and competent. There are too many possible outcomes, which your really
cannot control. The only thing you have power over is the decisions that you
will make, and how you would act and react to different situations.
Wrong decisions are always at hindsight.
Had you known that you were making a wrong decision, would you have gone along
with it? Perhaps not, why would you choose a certain path when you know it would
get you lost? Why make a certain decision if you knew from the very beginning
that it is not the right one. It is only after you have made a decision and
reflected on it that you realize its soundness. If the consequences or outcomes
are good for you, then you have decided correctly. Otherwise, your decision was
wrong.
Take the risk: decide.
Since life offers no guarantee and you would never know that your decision would
be wrong until you have made it, then you might as well take the risk and
decide. It is definitely better than keeping yourself in limbo. Although it is
true that one wrong turn could get you lost, it could also be that such a turn
could be an opportunity for an adventure, moreover open more roads. It is all a
matter of perspective. You have the choice between being a lost traveler or an
accidental tourist of life. But take caution that you do not make decisions
haphazardly. Taking risks is not about being careless and stupid. Here are some
pointers that could help you choose the best option in the face of life's
crossroads:
- Get as many information as you can about your situation.
You cannot find the confidence to decide when you know so little about what you
are faced with. Just like any news reporter, ask the 5 W's: what, who, when,
where, and why. What is the situation? Who are the people involved? When did
this happen? Where is this leading? Why are you in this situation? These are
just some of the possible questions to ask to know more about your situation.
This is important. Oftentimes, the reason for indecision is the lack of
information about a situation.
- Identify and create options.
What options do the situation give you? Sometimes the options are few, but
sometimes they are numerous. But what do you do when you think that the
situation offers no options? This is the time that you create your own. Make
your creative mind work. From the most simplistic to the most complicated,
entertain all ideas. Do not shoot anything down when an idea comes to your head.
Sometimes the most outrageous idea could prove to be the right one in the end.
You can ask a friend to help you identify options and even make more options if
you encounter some difficulty, but make sure that you make the decision yourself
in the end.
- Weigh the pros and cons of every option.
Assess each option by looking at the advantages and disadvantages it offers you.
In this way, you get more insights about the consequences of such an option.
- Trust yourself and make that decision.
Now that you have assessed your options, it is now time to trust yourself.
Remember that there are no guarantees and wrong decisions are always at
hindsight. So choose, decide, believe that you are choosing the best option at
this point in time.
Now that you have made a decision, be ready to face its consequences: good and
bad. It may take you to a place of promise or to a land of problems. But the
important thing is that you have chosen to live your life instead of remaining a
bystander or a passive audience to your own life. Whether it is the right
decision or not, only time can tell. But do not regret it whatever the outcome.
Instead, learn from it and remember that you always have the chance to make
better decisions in the future.
James Yee is the webmaster of http://www.yeearticles.com.
His tips on internet marketing is available at http://yeearticles.com/self-improve/
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