The Power of Your Decisions

Have you decided where you want to be in the next 5 to 10 years of your life?

 

In his book, Awaken the Giant Within, Anthony Robbins makes such a simple, yet thoughtful statement.  He says “You see, ten years from now, you will surely arrive.  The question is: Where? Who will you have become? How will you live? What will you contribute? Now is the time to design the next ten years of your life – not once they’re over”.  Many times, we are in the “I wish I had done that” mode – we always seem to realize what we could have done a lot later than when we could have actually done it.  This statement also comes up several times in the Quran when people wished if they had believed or they wished if they had done good.

 

The reason for this is that we are not able to make firm decisions and commit to them.  Or we let the circumstances or the people around us make our decisions for us.

 

What does it take to make a decision? Making a decision takes an honest and courageous stance from you to understand what it is you really want in life.  It is a commitment to not let your environment make decisions for you.  To test whether you have truly made a decision, observe whether you have actually taken action. It is through acting upon your decision that you demonstrate commitment to it.  We could parallel this with how every time faith is mentioned in the Quran, it is coupled with action.  Therefore, when one makes a decision and declares they are a Muslim, they must demonstrate that faith through their actions.

 

However, it is not only your decisions that you have to show commitment to; more importantly, it is the kind of person that you want to become that needs the ultimate  commitment.  And we know that being a Muslim falls under the category which Allah (swt) described in the Quran as:

 

“You are the best nation ever to be brought forth for people. You order honor and forbid dishonor, and you believe in Allah” (3:110)

 

How can we be the best nation if we do not hold ourselves to the highest standards?

 

Making this decision to live your life at the highest standard must stand in the face of all obstacles, challenges, and failures whether they are in your work, your family, or due to the lack of support around you.

 

Unfortunately, many people never make the decision to live their life according to the highest standards because they are too consumed in a victim state of mind that blames their parents, or their teachers, or their lack of opportunities.  This type of mindset is not only limiting but can be destructive.  The power of decisions though can allow us to overcome all these belief systems in an instant if we so wish.

 

More importantly of course, Allah (SwT) promises us in the Holy Qur’an:

 

“Whoever works righteousness, man or woman, and has faith, truly, to him will we give a new life, a life that is good and pure, and we will bestow on such their reward according to the best of their actions.” (SuratAl Nahl: 97)

 

If we make a firm decision to live a good life, one which pleases Allah, and we act accordingly to that decision, then Allah (Swt) promises us a good and pure life – one that is filled with happiness and rewards as opposed to misery and difficulties.

 

Anything that anyone has accomplished, whether it was on an individual level, or in their family, community, society, or the world was a result of a decision that they made.  So you too, right now, this moment, can make a decision about who you are, how you want to live your life from now on and what you want to accomplish.  Your decisions will form your reality, all by the will of Allah (SwT) of course.

 

So now that you realize the importance of making decisions, you may be wondering how to make those life changing decisions.  Up until now, you may have only been stating ‘preferences’ such as “it would be great if I was able to get this job” or “I would feel so much better if I only lost 10 pounds”.  So you state your preferences, but you don’t make actually make a decision.

 

The way to overcome this fear is not to know exactly what is going to happen, but to decide that you will make it happen, by the will of God.  This is in fact what the word decision means.  “De” in Latin means from and “caedre” means to cut.  Therefore, as Anthony Robbins states in his “Awaken the Giant Book”, “making a true decision means committing to achieving a result, and then cutting yourself off from any other possibility.”

 

Many of us may not be accustomed to being this serious and clear about our decisions.  However, it is this clarity that gives us the power to act upon our decisions.  So once you have decided to lose those 10 pounds, or to increase your knowledge in a certain area or to even write a book, you will do all you possibly can to achieve it.

 

So how is it that we can learn to make powerful decisions? What is the ultimate secret? Are you ready for it? The secret is to make them.  Yes, make a powerful decision today.  What have you been procrastinating or avoiding for days, months, or even years? Challenge yourself, be courageous, and make that decision to improve your life today.  And when you do it once, do it again, and again, until you become accustomed to making powerful decisions as opposed to stating preferences.

 

If you’re not sure where to start with your powerful decisions, think of the following types of decisions that have a big influence in your life.  They are:

 

1)      Your decisions about your attitude

2)      Your decisions about your values

3)      Your decisions about your actions

 

How satisfied are you today with your attitude, values, and actions?  How do they serve you in your life? Are they constant barriers for you and causes of failure? Or are they factors that contribute to your success and happiness?

 

A final important point to mention is most people don’t make decisions because they are afraid it will be the ‘wrong’ decision.  This can be very paralyzing and limiting to your potential and success.  As human beings prone to error, we will not always make the right decisions, but what’s important is to be flexible and learn from our decisions in order to make better ones in the future.

 

Embrace your ability to make powerful decisions today and witness the profound difference they can and will make in your life, in sha Allah.

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