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| Don't Be Afraid to Decide |
Some time ago, I was faced with a decision. The details
don't really matter but suffice it to say that it was one of
those life-changing decisions that come to us all sooner or
later. I agonized over it; I lay awake at nights thinking
about it. It seemed to me that if I made one choice, I would
be happy, while if I made the other choice I would be
unhappy.
One road was right, the other road was wrong. The problem
was, I didn't know which was which. I talked to friends
endlessly - I must have driven everyone mad, trying to work
out which was the right road. And eventually, you can guess
what happened - circumstances changed and suddenly there was
no decision to be made any more.
Now, you might think I would happy about this. After all,
this terrible decision that I had to make, this choice I had
agonized over, was gone. I didn't have to worry about what
would happen if I made the wrong choice any more. But the
more I thought about it afterwards, the more I began to
realize that something far worse had happened.
I had dithered and procrastinated for so long that I froze.
Rather than make the wrong decision, I made no decision at
all. All the control that I had over my life at that point,
the responsibility that was mine, I had given away.
As I thought about it more, I began to see that my thinking
had been wrong. I'd been so worried about making the "wrong"
decision, that I hadn't made a decision at all. Essentially,
I'd stood in front of a train and spent so much time
pondering whether it was better to jump into the nettles on
my left or the brambles on my right that the train had just
rolled straight over me!
After all, how do we know that any decision is the right or
the wrong one? The only things that can determine whether a
decision is "right" or "wrong" are the consequences that
flow from it. Some we can foresee but most we can't. It's
only looking back that we realize these things. It's only
with hindsight that we can see whether any decision was good
or bad, right or wrong.
Life is all about making choices. Every day we're faced with
hundreds of choices - some inconsequential, others vital.
It's important that, as hard as some of them may be, we make
those choices and take those decisions. Never be so afraid
of making the "wrong" decision that you make no decision at
all. If it turns out to be wrong in hindsight, well, you did
the best you could at the time. Correct what you can and go
on. When you're faced with a choice, remember that it's
better to make a decision - any decision - than to stand
there and be run over by the train.
-- Steve Smith |
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