Never make a decision before you really have to

‘To go or not to go.’

‘Just do it, or hell no, don’t do it.’

‘Stay with him, or run for your life.’

So there. We tend to make decisions every day and I’ve noticed all along that everything we say and do is the result of a decision, whether we make it consciously or not. For every choice, big or small, there's no easy formula for making the right decision. That’s much is true. ‘Cos I know it’s not easy.

Pretty serious stuff here, y’all. So bear with me for awhile.

We happen to be making choices in our daily life. Whether we want to be abit more well to do, to have a better relationship, to be healthy or smart, to have a new car or a new bike, thing is our very first step is to decide that this is what we really want.

I’ve gone through so many episodes where I had to take my time, quietly slouching at a corner on my bed, reviewing the options that I had at the moment. It takes time to decide. Always.

So you see, when somebody asks me to make a decision about a situation, about something, anything, I don't usually straight away offer a clarification, or say anything but instead, I ask questions; What are our options? Tell me the good things, tell me the bad things, give me the pretty, give me the ugly, give me the impossible, give me the possible, list me the convenient outcomes, list me the inconvenient outcomes.

Give me the options. All I want are options. And once I have all the options before me, then I would comfortably and confidently make my decision. But like I said earlier, it always takes some time.

If we really put our mind into it, our decisions are the only things we are truly accountable for in our life. Everything we say or do is a result of a decision we have made. Or will make.

Geez. Easier said than done, uh?

That reminds me. I have a dear friend who’s currently rethinking of the way his life turns out to be where it’s quite different (or must I say, very different?) from the way he wished it would be. He has worked for 4 solid years, and he thinks it’s not taking him any further, which is something he loathes so bad.

Then, BAM! out of the blue (well not really, he applied for it about thousand years ago), he got this offer, a really cool job offer which calls for his service at a faraway country. Which will grant him awfully lots of money. A job offer that he’s been waiting for all his freakin’ life. But did he say ‘YES! I’d do it!’ straight away when he was told about it? Hell no. ‘Cos he knows making a certain decision, is a life changing decision. A total change!

A transformation.

If we want something more in our life, we have to make a decision. Whether we like it or not. And for me, it is quite scary and the whole process demands our consideration and judgement, in every way.

One thing I know, decision making is an emotional event. It can make us feel like we’re all over the place. Emotions can sometimes bog us down and cloud our ability to make good decisions. Let me be honest here for once. I admit I’ve done some of the things which I regretted all my life, which I know if I did or chose the other route, or the other way round, my life would be in a better form, or happier.

Every now and then, if I stop and stare and look back on some of the biggest moments in my life that went wrong, I tend to realize that my biggest regrets come from faulty decision making.

Perhaps back then, I went with my very own gut instinct, thinking I knew how the world wags its invisible magic stick when making a decision or I just let myself be swayed by others. (once in awhile jadi lalang la lebih kurang.. ha ha)

The problem is that, sometimes I may think that a change will make everything go back to being okay. Or at least better. Or make me feel a lot happier than before.

But then again. That’s the beauty of life. We can never be sure of the outcomes of things we opt to choose.

Right?


P/s: I put up Scrat from Ice Age at someone’s request. I mean, it relates to the whole entry, you see. A ridiculous, annoying squirrel that has been trying to treasure his possession would do anything, even against his will to hide it. Up until now, as he still tries to keep it, he has caused an avalanche, and also got struck by lightning and many more to come right. But that’s his decision, to keep trying to bury his acorn. He never backs down. So there. Make a decision and stick to it.