Decisions

Something that I have encountered a lot is a fear of making decisions. So many people are in situations that they don't enjoy, or situations that actually make themselves, and those around them, miserable; they can see a way out, but they do nothing. What is it, for example, that makes a person reflect on their life, point out its faults and downsides, and then sit back and carry on living it? Why are we so incapable of just making a decision and following it through?

I speak partly from personal experience - when I was living in London, I was inherently miserable due to the weather and the distance that I was to any of my family members. Yet I stayed there for a total of 11 years. I didn't particularly enjoy my job, but I felt that I should keep going because they told me I was good at it. Then one day, my mum helped me to take the much needed step towards getting out of the situation. She told me that all I needed to do was make a decision and act on it. So the next day I handed in my notice, and booked a flight back to Australia. And that was that.

Don't get me wrong - it wasn't easy. There was much crying and screaming. Leaving my friends was tough etc etc, but I did it because I wanted to.

The empowerment of this decision has stayed with me, and I'm now beginning to utilise this in other aspects of my life: I wanted to leave Brisbane for a few days so I drove to Sydney. It was a dumb idea, but I made the decision and stuck to it. I wanted to run in the Bridge to Brisbane on August 5th, so I have just signed up. I don't know if I'll make it, but I'll give it a go. You see how it works?

What I'd like to communicate to everybody, is that a person is truly independent, and truly a strong individual, when they can change things in their own life. All it takes is a decision, and you've started the ball rolling already. Sometimes, as I have recently felt, a decision is painful and it keeps hurting and feels like it will never stop. But things need to be done in order to protect ourselves from certain future misery - sometimes we need to decide to do things that will necessarily hurt ourselves, and other people. And that's when we need to have an element of foresight instilled in the decision making process. Things will work out, things will get easier; and we need to realise that it's the actual decision that's the hardest bit.