Descartes once wrote, “I think, therefore I am!” and ‘hidden’ in plain view among those five small words – for all the world to see – lays the secret to unlimited success. Do you see it? Oh all right… I’ll ‘fess up. It’s so simple it’s… (Drum roll please)…
The power of CHOICE.
Yup, that’s right – choice. Free will. Raspberry, chocolate or vanilla. Up or down. Hot or cold. Choice.
It’s the simple art of choosing: of making a conscious (and sometimes unconscious) choice.
What clothes to wear, what breakfast cereal to eat, what route to drive to work, what donut to have with your coffee. It’s all about choice.
We make quite literally millions of choices everyday… and they’re all important.
Why are they important? Because they colour your day-to-day world and determine your future. Yes, even that apparently innocent choice to have the donut with sprinkles on the top…
Okay, so what does ‘sprinkles’ have to do with tires? A heck of a lot actually.
Permit me to explain.
In business we’re faced with a constant stream of choices. How we respond (not react) is what determines the outcome. What you decide to think about something is your choice. If you choose to look at life and business as a challenge – it will be. If you choose to look at life as a wonderful journey – it will be that. Whatever you think it is – you’re right.
Think about that for a moment. Whatever YOU think your life is… is
Woah! A Matrix moment… Just like when Neo realizes he’s been living in a dream world and he’s about to step through the looking glass to take on the machines.
Now, if you’ve read my other articles (and why wouldn’t you?) you’d have read the article about Nazir Mawani from “More Than Tires”. Now there’s a man who understands the power of choice.
During that interview I cannot recall one moment when he sounded bitter, angry or resentful about anything. He was just so darned upbeat – so positive – so happy. It’s all a choice. And Nazir knows it.
He openly spoke about his passion for life and how he wished more people would grasp the simple truth that each day is what you make it. It’s no more complex than that.
If you remember, Nazir had successfully operated dozens of businesses and still seems unjaded by the rigours of daily life. And don’t think that life has always been a bed of roses for Nazir – it hasn’t been. Life has thrown him plenty of curve balls – the kind of curve balls that might send some people running for the locker rooms calling the game because of rain.
Nope, Nazir has taken his lumps and risen up from failures and he’s still smiling.
Making choices takes practice. It also takes a sense of responsibility. You need to realize that you are the creator of your own destiny – in all things. Remember, no choice is a choice. So you can’t plead ignorance when something fails on you.
And the best way to help make choices is to arm yourself with as much information as you can get. Read voraciously. Listen to the news. Talk to like minded people. Talk to people with alternate viewpoints. Think and immerse yourself in whatever you wish.
And when life taps you on the shoulder and you need to make a choice – you’ll be ready.
So do you want raspberry, chocolate or vanilla?
Author: http://www.JamesBurchill.com
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