Le Dynamique Professeur

While I am not a fan of country music, the lyrics of this song hit me to bits. I am more than sure all of us can testify to it that we are what/who/where we are today as a result of the choices we've made in the past. Similarly, the choices we make now will contribute to our future. In other words, for anyone mindful of success and fulfillment, being mindful and careful about the choice he makes would be a constant call. In the previous parts of this series, I highlighted that the choices we make at life's crossroads are very pertinent to the shape of our lives and future.

[Recall] My theory of crossroads is that a man or woman at a crossroad can only choose one of 7 decisions available to him or her. He/she can either choose to go forward or retract backwards; move up or down; drift left or right; or be stagnant at the same position.

The final part of this series is on the choice to either drift left or right. While it is difficult to ascertain in a crossroad whether the left turn is the better choice than the right, I believe there rules to making choices that can help guide such dilemma. I will like to share two main tips on how to choose when faced with the choice to either drift left or right...

1. Every selfish decision is a wrong choice: One of the many ways to know you are choosing wrongly is if you have decided to consider only your selfish decision. I learned a theory a few years back which I would still love to blog about soon; its called the 'balanced theory of wisdom' (Stenberg, 1998) - The theory proposes a balance when making a choice: self-interests (intrapersonal) with the interests of others (interpersonal) and of other aspects of the context in which one lives (extrapersonal), such as one’s community - city, country or environment or even God.’So, when next you are at a crossroad, think of these things.

2. Choose informed decisions over 'emotional' ones: well, maybe because I am a researcher but I've come to discover when I delve into things before making decisions over them, I tend to make the right decisions. Successful people make informed decisions - information on such decisions could come from previous experiences (personal and from others), insights and knowledge from wise fellows... life is too short to keep making uninformed decisions. When your choice are guided, you would hardly make wrong decisions. 

With this post, we've come to the end of the 'Let me Decide' series. Thanks for following through. I am sure you've picked up one or two things and you've been inspired by the series. God bless you.

At the early hours of the morning today, I just felt my heart asked me this great question, "Do you believe in me?" I wonder in my heart immediately, how many hearts are asking the same questions that very minute; either asking themselves or asking their loved ones. Perhaps not verbally but deep down within. How many times have you looked in the eye of your spouse and have these words unspoken yet yelling loudly as though it would jump off your chest - "honey, do you believe in me?" How many times have you engaged yourself in the bathroom early in the morning, probing yourself deep within, "Samuel [put your name here], do you believe in me?"

Hardly can anything be done without believing in its possibility. In fact, whatever you do not believe in would remain undone by you. The reason why only one man comes out with an invention out of 6billion people on the planet is because the man would not give up until he sees what he believes come to life. I once heard the story of Mr Charles Goodyear - Goodyear Tyres [heard of that name before?]. Charles never started a company named Goodyear tyres neither did he know anything about a company with such nomenclature. However, Charles was a man who believed heating natural rubber and sulfur would create vulcanized rubber. The process which was later refined to become the vulcanizing process. Quoting a source...

 

Later Charles Goodyear began his own small factory where he was perfected his discovery and had to patent it in 1844. His discovery has led to the tyres on our roads today.

So what am I driving at? Until you believe in yourself, it'd be difficult to convince any other person to believe in you. Hello!!! Believe in yourself and even if others don't believe in you, it would be difficult to derail you or get you off track. As you know I love physics. Newton's first law of motion states, "every body remains in a state of rest unless acted upon by a force". Now, if your dream is the BODY at rest, your 'believe' or 'faith' is the FORCE that needs to act on it or else it would remain at that level zero! In other words, until you believe in your dreams and your capacity to birth forth the dream, it would forever remain a dream.

Beloved, it is high time you believed in yourself and your ability to birth forth your dream. If there is anything you can only do yourself, its your believing. No one can do that for you. Martin Luther King said, "Every man must do two things alone; he must do his own believing and his own dying." Indeed, you would be encouraged if people believe in you and your dreams but you first have to do the believing. It is pointless if people believe in you and you practically lack faith in yourself. You will remain at that state of rest until you believe in yourself! It's that easy! Even the bible that I love so much said, "'If You can?' All things are possible to him who believes." Believe and you'd be amazed at what you can achieve. Be all you can, BELIEVE all the way! 

- Le Dynamique Professeur

Recall: My theory of crossroads is that a man or woman at a crossroad can only choose one of 7 decisions available to him or her. He/she can either choose to go forward or retract backwards; move up or down; drift left or right; or be stagnant at the same position.

I believe the most disastrous decision a man can ever make in life is to stand put in one position, scared stiff, afraid of making a move. I know we are all humans and because of our nature, the things we cannot see tend to limit us. And one of such things is the future. As a result, we are very careful with the moves we make, ensuring we are not victims of the risks we take in life. The truth however is even choosing to stay put and not take any risk is the riskiest decision one can ever make. Have you heard the story of the wolf and the cat?

The cat had seen the wolf from afar off and had all the time in the world to run and hide. Rather he chose to dig a hole where he was standing and buried himself underneath. Unknown to him, he had just made things very easy for the wolf. The wolf noticed the ruffled ground and decided to sniff on it. He immediately noticed the cat and ate him without hesitation!

Hear this,  "If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward." - Martin Luther King Jr.

In any of life's cross road, stagnancy should never be an excuse. It is important to always be on the move. Truth is, if you refuse to move from where you are, you would soon be trampled over by others on the journey. No one makes it by standing on the same spot. People make it whenever they decide to make a move. Success is often measured by how far and well one can travel when one makes a move and not for how long one is able to stand on a spot.

I beseech you therefore beloved, don't you stop wherever you are. Don't you quit when you still so much ground to cover. Champions are those who start from the starting line, make a move and cross the finish line. In the race of life, you don't have to be a sprinter, you don't have to be the fastest runner; all you need do is to keep moving. Like in the words of Martin Luther King, whether crawling is what you can do, perhaps its walking, just ensure you are not on the same spot at every time interval. If you are found at the same spot where you were last year, this year, then my friend, you are not making progress. Progress is what defines success not stagnancy. Be found on the move, not standing put. You are a winner!