Tuesday, December 8, 2015

What if v/s If only…

The tough choices we need to make in the now of our life

We were all born to be the John Galts or Dagny Taggarts of the world,
It is our own choices that make us like James Taggart or Lilian Rearden.
It takes courage to take the road John Galt took.
What happens to most people around is that they start off on the John Galt path,
but somewhere down the line fear overcomes them and they end up as, Hank Rearden...

The times that we live in, lead us to cross roads of tough decisions every single day. Each day we encounter situations where we have to choose the road we want to take while moving ahead in life. It could be anything… A career decision, a relationship drama, or an investment plan - it all comes down to making a decision, a binary choice, yes or no.

It is important for us to make these choices, and wisely at that. But it is also equally important for us to take full responsibility of the consequences that these decisions would bear.

We have all made choices in our life. Those choices never leave us. The choice between red and blue, between mathematics and biology, between passion and career, and a lot more; they are always lingering close to us, waiting for the final decision to be made, to decide the course of life.

Lately, I have observed people who have somehow mastered the art of procrastination, so much so, that the decisions have been hanging for years and not months. At this point, their life appears like the good old Indian judicial system, where the decisions hang on for generations in a row. The reason for procrastination - well, the ever lingering fear of making a bad decision or worse, some sort of guilt.

Bad decisions… Is there a way of telling a good decision from bad? If there were such a way, then what would be the fun of life? Isn’t life about experiences and learning from those experiences? It is not about a bad decision or a good decision. It is about making a decision or a choice when it calls. If turns out to be good, great! If not, then take a corrective measure and fix it.

Nobody is expected to pursue a career in the stream of education that they do not relate with, or a career that is not fulfilling, or a relationship/marriage where either or both the partners are unhappy. A decision made, we should keep our eyes open to observe how those decisions are shaping up and our heart open to make necessary corrections.

What most of us forget is that there is a difference between taking responsibility of the consequences and living with the consequences. Taking responsibility is a positive trait that helps us learn from those experiences and better ourselves. Living with the consequences has a negative connotation attached to it. Living with the consequences sounds like becoming a prisoner to one’s own decisions.

Life is such a beautiful gift! To wake up each morning and realize that we have another day to live, to learn, and to shape our lives the way we want. Why waste such a beautiful gift in regrets!

So, wake up my friends… Enroll for that certificate course that you have been feeling so dicey about, apply for that job that you think will take you a step closer to your dream. And not to forget, pick-up your mobile and make that phone call to the girl or boy you love so much but haven’t really expressed as much. It is once in eons that we meet that one person who fulfills and nurtures our soul, let that person know how you feel, find a way to make things work.

Years ago, I read somewhere that we are all cut out of a unique soul and sent in this world to explore and gather experiences. While we are just one half of that soul, there remains another half wandering and gathering experiences of its own. It takes several lives for these souls to find each other. And once united, the experience is nothing less than Magic. For all those, who have been lucky enough to meet the other half of their wandering souls, but have been taken aback by the challenges that lie on the way, go ahead and make it work. We are not here on this planet to live forever, but each living moment of our life is worth spending with the person we want to.

The same logic applies to career decisions as well. What’s the point of baking cookies for a living when you love training dogs? Why force yourself to climb a tree when you’re already proficient in swimming? Why bury yourself in charts and tables and let them kill you, when you actually want to explore the wild?

There are hurdles in our dreams but it is those hurdles which make that dream worth accomplishing. To overcome those hurdles or to sit and procrastinate is the choice that life has given you, today. Let’s not wait for the grandfather years to come by, just to sit and think, “If only…”

8 comments:

Unknown said...

Wow I literally read it in one go . We have this knowledge locked in ourselves but words like these helps us regain consciousness:) good one

Bombshell Ideas by Kriti Vajpeyi said...

Thanks a lot for your encouraging words #Trance Karma :)

DEV said...

Well I have to disagree, it is not always simple binary decisions. Then again I am a big procrasinator ��

Bombshell Ideas by Kriti Vajpeyi said...

Hey Dev,

We can always agree to disagree but procrastination only brings more pain in the long run. My unsolicited advice, dive in deeper to evaluate the reasons for this delay. See what is holding you back, overcome the fear (of failure or of being laughed at) and step closer to your aspirations. There is nothing as painful as the pain of "if only," and the key to save yourself from that lies in your hands. :)

Valentina said...

Some wise once told me, "It's not always important to make the right decision, but to stick to it."

Bombshell Ideas by Kriti Vajpeyi said...

He was indeed wise in his reflection, Valentina. To take a stand when it calls and then evaluate the results to take the next course of action is what holds importance. Vacillation and procrastination only brings pain to one's soul. But sticking to those choices even if they turn out to be painful causes a bigger heartache to all involved. This in no sense means that I'm trying to advocate inconstancy, but we all have the good sense to judge whether our choices have been for good or bad. Being honest to ourselves, we can call upon the courage to fix the wrongs, the errors of judgement.

Ranjan said...

One of your best written pieces. Smooth flowing and coherent writing underlying the inspiring message that you have successfully conveyed.

Bombshell Ideas by Kriti Vajpeyi said...

Thank you so much, Ranjan... :)

My friend Manoj...

The last time I wrote on this blog was in 2018, at Manoj’s behest to lend voice to India’s ongoing MeToo campaign. Being a champion of women...