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 lifes 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 Ws: 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.
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