Life 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 will 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 led you, which road will you take? What is the guarantee that we would choose the right one? Would you pick just any road, or just stay where you are: in front of a crossroad confused?

There are no guarantees in life.

You don't really know where a road will lead you until you take it. There isn't any guarantees. This is one of the most important things that you need to realize about life and the choices you will make. Nobody said that choosing to do the right thing all the time will always lead you to happiness. Loving someone with all your heart does not guarantee that it would be returned from the other person. Gaining fame and fortune does not guarantee happiness. There are too many possible outcomes, which you really can't control. The only thing you have power over is the decisions that you will make, and how you will 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 isn't the right one. It's only after you have made a decision and reflected on it that you can 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: make a decision.

Since life offers no guarantee's 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's true that one wrong turn can get you lost, it could also be that such a turn could be an opportunity for an adventure, moreover open up even more roads. It's all a matter of perspective. You have the choice between being a lost traveler or an accidental tourist of life. But take some caution that you don't make decisions haphazardly. Taking risks is not about being careless and stupid. Here are some pointers that may help you choose the best option in the face of some of life’s crossroads:
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Get as much information as you can about your situation.

You can't find the confidence to decide when you know so little about what you're 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 help you to know more about the situation. This is important. Oftentimes, the reason for indecision is the lack of information pertaining to a situation.

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Identify and create some options.

What options is the situation giving you? Sometimes the options are few, but sometimes they are numerous. But what do you do when you think 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. Don't shoot nothing 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 to identify options and even make more options if you encounter some difficulty, but make sure that you make the decision yourself in the end.

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Weigh both the pros and cons of all option's.

Assess each option by looking at the advantages and disadvantages that it offers you. In this way, you will get more insight about the consequences of such an option.

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Trust yourself and make the decision.

Now that you have assessed your options, it's now time to trust in 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 for yourself.

Now that you have made a decision, be ready to face the consequences of that decision: good or bad. It may take you to a place of wealth and happiness or to a land of worry and problems. But the important thing is that you have chosen to live your life instead of remaining a bystander in your life. Whether it's the right decision or not, only time will tell. But don't regret it and dwell on it, whatever the outcome may be. Instead, learn from it and remember that you will always have the chance to make wiser decisions in the future.