Made A Decision
Years ago, I heard a keynote speaker talk about the word decide. It was quite interesting to hear him talk about one of the most basic words in English. The first two letters come from the Latin meaning off. The last part of “decide” means to cut. When we put those together, we’ve got the origins of to cut off. In real life context for example, if I decide to go to the store, I’m going. There’s no sitting around and not going or thinking about going to swim because I cut off every other option.
We’ve all made decisions. We’ve all decided some things were unacceptable and other would simply not be tolerated. We have all done this on some sort of level, whether it was a conscious decision or not. For several hours last night and upon awakening this morning, I’m faced with a decision. I have to decide. Do I continue along the path I’ve been traveling and in the same manner or do things differently?
Herb and I speak on Thursday most weeks and we’ll have a conversation tonight. It’ll be interesting to get his take on the situation. I’m convinced as I continue to write about it and think about it that I have to make a decision. I’m convinced that all my time, effort, and energy should be committed to one single endeavor.
“I don’t know how much time I have left, but I don’t want to spend any of it doing this” is what Herb taught me a couple years ago. I’ve been hearing that phrase repeatedly since last night. I don’t want to spend any of the time I have left developing business for other people. I don’t want to spend any of the time I have left cold calling and having conversations with people about a product or service I don’t care about. I don’t want to spend any of the time I have left doing any activity that’s not related to me fulfilling my purpose.
If I today, and any time in the last six or seven years, I would have told you I am living with purpose. I would have explained how that got me to Rio de Janeiro to write my first book. I would have told you how that got me to Manila to hire staff for my publishing company. I would have rambled on enthusiastically about living in the country for years with no guaranteed source of income, only living to fulfill my reason for being created. As I type this now, I am convinced I’d done a lack luster job. Some would say “half measures” and others would say “going through the motions.” I’m saying I hadn’t really made a decision with a plan to get it done. I decided to come to the Philippines, but no plan, other than to hire a few people. With Rio, I decided to write the book and that got done. Just those two instances are proof enough that to cut off with no replacement plan is insufficient. I’m at a similar place in time, but can leverage my experiences to flatten the learning curve and not repeat the mistakes of my past.
Know this: To decide is vital. There are other things that will need to accompany your decision, but you must first decide. Afterwards, your plan, the adaptation of your plan, the implementation or execution will come into effect. But the decision is first and foremost.
One last thing about deciding. To cut off means it’s not coming back. Once we decide, that’s it, p
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