Another year . . . they appear to pass swifter, weigh a tad heavier . . . and to elicit more awareness in their passing.
Earlier this year, a friend was pondering life-altering decisions, and remarking on the passage of time as having more of an impact on the decision-making process.
With each passing year, it does seem as if the horizon of possibilities narrows.
I think it a false burden we place on ourselves.
As we age, we see limitations to what used to be a myriad of possibilities. Some limitations are real, some are self-imposed, some are just due to the weight of experience. But really, had we known what we know now when we were younger, would we had chosen any different? And if so, why?
There is no more assurance in the path not taken than the one we travel, and there is little value in pondering what might have been, save for possible lessons learned.
We should rely on the confidence in our abilities, the light of our integrity illuminating our path, the willingness to rise to our potential, and in knowing the limits of our fortitude in the face of things not working out as we planned. That’s what should drive our decisions.
Admittedly, there are often valid considerations, some outside of ourselves, in favor of proceeding with caution. But that illusory “narrowing of choices” skews our decision-making. It appeared easier taking risks when our horizons were perceived as wide, but the horizons have not changed, only our view of them.
In the end, it is the effort we put into realizing what we imagine that is of importance. And luck. But the effort is what gives us purpose. It’s what we can control. It’s totally dependent on us.
The alternative is to stagnate, to not take chances, to not rock the boat . . . but then, before we know it, we find we are at a destination, only one not of our own choosing.
Is the better choice to not make a decision, or to risk making the wrong decision? I don’t know. I only know what I prefer.
Whatever you decide, my best wishes for 2013 to travel the path of your hopes and dreams.
Sutures in Time
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. . . my FP ward . . . chieken shit.
It has been an honor and pleasure stumbling upon your blog. You’ve made me laugh, you’ve made me think, and sometimes get mad but I keep coming back. Happy New Year!
I’ll try to cut down on the last part of that . . . and concentrate more on the first.
Thanks, and likewise.
Compelling words, Emilio…thank you…and best wishes to you and yours for the new year, as well….
Thank you, Scott.
Most welcome….
Not making a decision is a decision in itself, I think.
It is . . . and it seems it’s one many are comfortable with.
Excellent post! The possibilities are limited only by our fears and self doubts. I am just learning this myself (Only took me 43 years)
Happy 2013 to you and yours!
Thanks, and thanks.
Some things I surely would have done differently, not because of age or fear but some roads I went down really did lead me to a situation that sucked. For instance, buying our house out in the boondocks. Purely avoidable mistake, and if I’d thought it through a bit more, would not have done it.
Wishing you all the best in the coming year, Emilio.
. . . I like the boondocks . . . looking to move there someday.
Thanks, and the same for you, as well.
Ah, but you like being a loner. I like to be alone when I want to, and being at home in my house is usually sufficient for that. I should have known better. I’d already taken a stab at living in an isolated podunk little town in Oklahoma. At first, because I was weary of life, I was intrigued by the wide open spaces, but eventually I wanted to be where there were interesting people and things to see and to interact with. I should have know better about choosing Silver Springs.
Yeah, but I’m a loner here, in El Paso county, with a population larger than Denver.
When we moved here, people were surprised; New Life Church, Family Values, a few other, and generally an above-average-concentration of religious folks.
“Who are you going to be-friend?” they asked. I just laughed. So, location does not alter the amount of interaction with others.
That said, I will probably never live in the boondocks. Melisa is not partial to it, and as we age, it’s probably not smart. But I like the idea of it. Might even prompt me to get a couple of dogs . . .
Wise words.
Thanks . . . I’ve been called a wiseguy (not in the Soprano-like way . . . more like the Three Stooges way).
Well said, bro! And here’s another suitable quote:
How can you be a sage if you’re pretty? You can’t get your wizard papers without wrinkles. ~Bill Veeck