INDECISION IS DECISION

“The risk of a wrong decision is preferable to the terror of indecision.” - Maimonides (1135-1204)

DECISIONS form a strong basis in every person’s life. Our lives follow the paths charted by the decisions we make. Our decisions determine our actions and our actions carve the outcome of our lives. Every moment of life is a moment of decision. There are decisions we make consciously and those we make unconsciously. And for every single decision we make, there are consequences.

It is thus critical that we take charge of the decisions of our lives. We must be deliberate about our decisions. We must take responsibility for our decisions. We must be alive to the consequences of the decisions we make.

DECISION
DECISION is a choice made out of possible or alternative courses of action. This implies that there are always options in life. In life you never run out of options. Usually, when people say “there is no option,” they actually mean the other option is a tough one and they are unable or unwilling to bear the risks and consequences that reside in pursuing that path.

Every decision has risks. Risk is the probability that the decision you make may not lead to the desired or expected outcome. It is the price you are likely to pay for your decision. Many people shy away from making decisions when they realise that the risk is high.

Another thing to note about decisions is that they have consequences. So consider your life as the outcome of past decisions. Decisions you made by yourself and those made by other people on your behalf. Your future will be constructed by the decisions you are making today. Your legacy after you are dead will be a reflection of the decisions you are making today. Hear Tony Robbins, “It is in the moments of decision that your destiny is shaped.”

INDECISION
IF YOU hesitate to make any kind of decision, you suffer from the cancer of indecision. People use indecision as a tool to recuse themselves of the responsibility to make decisions. I hope you are not one of those people. I hereby bring to your notice that indecision is one option in decision-making. That means there are consequences for indecision. There is a price for indecision. And I have noticed that the price is mostly higher than the price you pay for your decisions. Hence the thought of Spanish philosopher Maimonides (1135-1204) that “The risk of a wrong decision is preferable to the terror of indecision.” Trust me, indecision is a notorious terrorist.

If you refuse to take charge of your decisions, you lose control of your life. You relinquish your destiny to forces outside your realm. It’s easier to be indecisive than make decisions. But it is easier to live with the consequences of your decisions than your indecisions. You know why? George Canning says “Indecision and delays are the parents of failure.” Thus if you want to avoid misery in your life, you have to learn how to make decisions that give you success, significance and substance.

© 2011 Terry Mante
PEDNET
Accra, Ghana

A CASE STUDY ON INFLUENCE

“Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.” – Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

Lula da Silva of Brazil

LUIZ Inácio Lula da Silva. Everybody calls him Lula. He served as 35th President of Brazil (2003-2011). At the time of his presidential mandate, Lula was regarded as the most popular politician in the history of Brazil. Greeting him at the G-20 Summit in London, UK in 2009 United States President Barack Obama endorsed him saying, "That's my man right there... The most popular politician on earth." Call him “saviour of the poor” and perhaps no Brazilian would debate you.

Uneasy path
He was the seventh child of Aristides Inácio da Silva and Eurídice Ferreira de Melo in the midst of eight children. Lula’s childhood was quite tough and challenging. Just two weeks after his birth in the Brazillian Caetés district, Lula’s dad moved to another state with Eurídice’s cousin named Valdomira Ferreira de Góis. At age seven, when his mum decided to rejoin Aristides in São Paulo, they arrived only to discover that Aristide had started a second family with Valdomira. After sometime, Euridice decided to move Lula and his seven other siblings from Aristides’ home since the two families were not coexisting peacefully. They found a place in the back room of a bar. And since then Lula scarcely saw his father.

Being raised by a ‘single’ mother who was not well-to-do had its bouquet of limitations for boy Lula and his seven siblings. His formal education was quite limited. He didn’t start school until he was ten and by the fourth grade had to quit in order to work to support his family. From age twelve Lula worked in various capacities as street hawker, shoe shiner, lathe operator in a copper processing factory, press operator in an automobile parts outfit and union leader.

Leader, not just president
In the course of time Lula got interested in politics, teamed up with a group of intellectuals and union leaders to form the Workers Party. After three failed attempts at the presidency, he eventually won the elections of 2002 and served two terms as president from 2003 to 2011. He was a president without a university degree; the first such person in Brazil. Lula was also the first working class person to lead that huge South American state.

In spite of his coarse background, his presidency saw the Brazilian middle class grow by 29 million people enhancing the purchasing power of many Brazilians. Another 20 million people were lifted from deep poverty. Remarkably, Lula so improved the Brazilian economy that by the time he was exiting office, Brazil had become a lending nation to the IMF making available up to $5 million as loans to other nations. Not only that, before Lula left office, Brazil was awarded the hosting rights for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Together with Ghana’s former president John Kufuor, Lula was awarded the World Food Prize 2011 for his role in curbing poverty and hunger in Brazil.

Undoubtedly, Lula made an indelible imprint on his nation. Coming from highly challenging circumstances, he was able to rise to become a very influential person in Brazil. Like Lula, each one of us can be influential. We have the capacity to make a difference in the world. We have what it takes to influence the society, or at least an aspect of society.


© 2011 Terry Mante
PEDNET
Accra, Ghana

LIVING WITH A SENSE OF LEGACY

“Success expires. Value endures. Value creates legacy. Your legacy is your testament.” - Terry Mante

JESUS Christ once said, “… whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” In other words, if you put your life in safety mode you will be in danger but if you are prepared to bear calculated risk, then your life will be preserved in the face of danger. Each of us must necessarily bear some risk to make the world a better place.

We don’t have perfect families, companies, communities and countries. It is the duty of the human race to improve those spheres and make the world a better place. Instead of joining the bandwagon of complainants, we should strive to be counted among the difference makers.

LOSE YOUR LIFE…
YOU can’t keep to yourself and have a meaningful life. If you want your life to be valuable, you’ve got to let something flow out of it. You must let your life reach out to touch the society you live in. You must let your family get a taste of you. You must offer yourself in service of your country. That is how you can make your life valuable.

To be able to lose your life, you must see yourself as an original being. You are not a photocopy of another person. There is a unique space you must occupy on earth. It’s a space only you can fill. It is your ability to fill that space which defines your essence. Don’t just wander on earth without the concept of originality. You must know for sure that you are original, you are authentic; that there is a reserved seat for you on earth.

Further, you must see yourself as a solution bearer. Decide to be part of the things that move your society forward. When you see a problem in any situation, don’t just describe the problem and move on. Attempt to prescribe a solution. If you don’t have an immediate solution, take time to think and research in order to obtain a solution.

To lose your life, you must also learn to use your abilities. Everybody can do something. Focus on what you can do to make the world a better place. Your abilities can make you a global impact person. Make a decision to use them.

…AND YOU WILL SAVE IT
IF YOU commit to making the world a better place, you will live forever. You may die physically but your memory will be in the hearts and minds of posterity. Think of people like Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa, Princess Diana, Kwame Nkrumah, Alfred Nobel and of course Jesus Christ. These people show us that the best way to preserve your life is to lose it.

Don’t only focus on what you can get out of life. Be driven by what you can give. Don’t be solely motivated by success. Let significance be your motivational factor. Don’t be too salary-conscious. Be value-conscious. Follow Albert Einstein’s advice, “Strive not to be a success but rather to be of value.” Success expires. Value endures. Value creates legacy. Your legacy is your testament. It will speak on your behalf on the day of reckoning.



© 2011 Terry Mante
PEDNET
Accra, Ghana