Decision Determines Destiny

Ronald Reagan the former president of the United States always had this story to tell whoever that cared to listen, it was the tale of how he learnt the bitter lesion of life early, and how to make firm and resolute decisions. The story goes thus; a kind aunt took him to the cobblers to have a pair of custom made shoes. Naturally the cobbler asked him the normal question, ‘Do you want a square toe or a round one?’ the young Reagan was lost as to choice, so the cobbler continued, ‘Come back in a day or two and tell me what you want.’

Some days later the cobbler saw the young Reagan on the street and continued from where he left off from the last visit. ‘I haven’t made up my mind’ replied Reagan, ‘very well then’ the cobbler retorted, ‘your shoes will be ready tomorrow.’ When Reagan got to the cobblers to pick up the shoes, one had a round toe while the other had a square toe.

Concluding the story Reagan said ‘Looking at those shoes every day taught me a lesson. If you don’t make your own decisions, somebody else will make them for you.’

If you don’t decide what is important in your life someone else will decide it for you. A wise person makes his own decision; an ignorant one follows public view, if you think making a decision is too much of a work, don’t worry, some one else will make the decision for you, with or without your consent.

Your future is not a matter of chance; it is a matter of choice. Never stay in the middle of the road; this could be a very dangerous way to live, for you could be run over by traffic from both ends of the divide.

There is this story of a farmer who felt he had gotten the perfect worker, every task this farmer doled out was done with much energy, gusto and on time, but the day came when the farmer gave him the task of sorting out potatoes.

“Just put the good ones in one pile, the doubtful ones in another and the rotten ones throw away.” said the farmer. An hour later, the farmer returned with high hopes, but was stunned to see that nothing was done and he asked “why.” “Well” replied the worker, “it is making those decisions that’s killing me.”

Who in the world will ever believe that an unassuming, quite, determined and a principled man, a lawyer by trade and a pacifist would have the power to bring down a vast empire? Yet Mahatma Gandhi unresolved determination to rid his country India of British rule was a powder keg that set in motion a chain of events that would forever change the balance of world power.

Decisions are what transform ideas into action and reality. The key to the dream of the future is what you decide now. What you commit to do today will change you from what you are into what you want to become.

Decide now