DECISIONS
Pic.: Neerja Panchal
A decision is some definite
resolve that we make in our minds. We decide to do or not to do. And, such
simple state of mind has so much power to influence the state of our affairs,
the quality of our lives, and, above all, our destinations...
For so many
years, I dreamed of so many things. But, when it came to achieving them,
nothing took off the launching pad. I realized my handicap: my habit of
procrastination. I avoided making decisions, because, I avoided responsibility.
Things were quite comfortable, so I feared change, consequences. It was the classic
Arjuna Syndrome. The whole Gita was written to explain the
importance of making up our minds, of getting up and doing things – instead of
just thinking on and on.
Later, I did
mark these moments in the lives of my heroes: the night Gautama left his
palace, the chilly night when young Gandhi was thrown out of a train
compartment in South Africa; the night Christ prayed for courage in the Gethsemane
Garden; the day the young girl Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu (Mother Teresa) decided to
leave Loreto to walk among the poorest of the poor… There are many, many more.
Taking a
major decision is like proclaiming one’s own liberation. There is so much power
and magic packed in it, that the world begins to wonder, where the hell the
strength comes from!
Too often, we
aren’t capable of taking a major decision, unless and until some unpleasant
circumstances force us to do so, unless and until we are driven to the wall…
Yes, in my
case, it happened so!
GERALD D’CUNHA
P.S.:
In 1990, THE DAWN CLUB had published a
small book by the title – ‘The Zest’. It had carried some eighteen short and
medium-sized passages written by me. The book instantly became one of our very
popular books; and, eventually, it was reprinted several times.
We guess, one of the main reasons for its
popularity was that it spoke to the reader in ‘first person’… He felt as though
he was talking to himself… a soliloquy. Yes, the reader could instantly connect
to the voice in the book… and, the message simply seeped into his heart!
The above passage – ‘DECISIONS’ – is a
popular passage from the book.
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