I once wrote about the importance of decisions, which I have also done in my book Unlock Your Future because I think it is important. I was once contacted by a person disliking my practice wanting me to substitute decision with choice, because as he argued decide comes from latin decidere ‘determine’ from de- ‘off’ + caedere ‘cut’, i.e. decide means cutting off or according to him laying dead. This being negative he suggested the much more positive word choose.
I still use decide as I don’t agree to any negativity corresponding to the word. If making a decision means cutting off something, putting something behind you or laying dead I quite frankly think that is a good thing we should do more often.
I am not saying I have the majority with me on this, not making it anymore right or wrong for that sake. The thing is in my opinion that we are brought up to collect. Information, knowledge, even things, but we are not brought up to let go of anything. That is why the true meaning of decide is so important and should be used more actively in our everyday lives.
A decision can change your life in a fraction of a second. It can bring you forward. But making a decision of doing this (whatever that is) also means you should let go of something, put something down to make the journey forward more easy for you. We’re not good at this. We are on a general note very reluctant to let go. That is also why we so seldom really make decisions. We think we make them but we really don’t.
I am gonna do this, but I don’t. Been there? Part of your daily life? For most of us it is.
However important it is for all of us, we don’t learn anything about it in school or college for that sake. Perhaps one of the most important topic to teach students. You have to learn it yourself, the hard way through trial and error. However, first thing first; decide. Most of us go through life flowing with the stream. To decide you need to apply your will, because deciding is an action.
The reason why people hesitate to go through transitions is this lack of willingness to decide. You have to make a decision to end something before you can start on the transition. Obviously sometimes you have no choice(!) because someone else has made a decision for you. Panic – usually anyway.
I strongly believe in letting go, to end phases in our lives, (or in organizational lives) and start new ones. To grow you have to let go. That is a decision you have to make. But, not actively making a decision is however also a decision. More of that later.
Do you make decisions or is it safe and comfortable to stay with the masses? If that is you, you’re among peers – a lot of them. But it does not bring you anywhere.
