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Life can be very unpredictable. For many, that is the case. Some are lucky; others make their own luck. What’s the difference? The way we think.
If you do not have a path to follow, every opportunity feels like an option you can pursue—and this alone can make decisions difficult. On the other hand, if you set out to fulfill destiny, your path becomes narrow and your options few.
On this path, you will be faced with obstacles and opposition. What can truly make a difference in helping you succeed is the mindset you develop and live out. A wrong way of thinking will eventually lead you off course. To stay on track and reach glory, you need to be thinking right!
Life is not black or white
“Life is not black or white” I have heard many people say. I cannot disagree with that! Living means making decisions. Decisions are very crucial to our existence and we are each a product of our collective decisions over time. I’ve read that an average adult makes about 33,000 to 35,000 decisions per day. That is quite a lot! But, I understand how this is plausible especially if you consider what we go through sometimes just to decide what to eat alone. Now, that’s likely the simplest decision in most cases. Add to that all the different choices you have to make when dealing with others in your environment. And then, add the fact that most decisions you make are subconsciously prefabricated through various filters, neither of which are obviously black or white but various shades of everything in between. Suddenly, thirty-five thousand starts to look possible. Generally, when options increase, so does the complexity of decisions. It is no surprise that many people get confused when faced with major decisions like what career path to follow, whom to marry or when to start a family.
Disclaimer
Despite these dilemmas, it is possible to ensure that you are making the right decision every time. Disclaimer: Coming into full maturity takes time, patience and consistency. It goes without saying that you will miss it sometimes. But, with every execution, you gain much-needed experience and technical know-how in discernment, which is critical to getting the right outcomes for you.
The Lightning Bolt
Before we go any further, I would like to quickly define what a right outcome is. To help me with this task, I will use this analogy. There are many athletes in the world who, in their lifetime, would like to win an Olympic medal—some of them will, others won’t! If one of these athletes is built like Usain Bolt and desires to overtake the Lightning Bolt as the fastest sprinter on the planet, then it becomes clear what path that person would have to follow. On that path, as long as it remains that path, the athlete would face good and bad circumstances. Generally, what we will call a good situation will be a source of encouragement in the chosen direction and bad will be the opposite. However, for this athlete, irrespective of the conditions, if he manages to stay true to his course then he is positioned for a right outcome. Conversely, if he deviates from his course, then he sets himself up for a wrong outcome—unless he corrects his course and gets back on the chosen path. So, a right outcome is dependent on the chosen path and for everyone, there is a unique path. As long as you are courageous enough to make decisions that will keep you on your path of destiny, right outcomes can be guaranteed.
Good is different from right
On the issue of guaranteeing right outcomes, given the uncertainties in life, one may argue that no one can guarantee right outcomes. But, that couldn’t be further from the truth. I must clarify that good is different from right and hence, experiencing bad circumstances does not mean you are having wrong outcomes. Indeed, if you set out on a path of destiny, it is inevitable that you will face bad situations. Nonetheless, if you stick to that path, your outcomes will be guaranteed to be right.
It is obvious from the above explanations that right outcomes are a product of right decisions. Right decisions result from thinking right. Thinking right requires feeding on truth. So, what is truth? Truth is that which leads to life!
The adventurer’s commitment
The only constant I have come to know on earth is uncertainty—and, by extension, change. Change is inevitable as you may know. Although life is unpredictable, it is possible to ensure that you always end up on the right side of outcomes. To do this, one has to make a commitment to think right. Like I said before, truth-based thinking is a natural response to truth consumption. In our world today, it is becoming more and more difficult to filter through the lies. On a daily basis, deception grows and it is becoming increasingly laborious to hold on to truth. While this causes us to be fatigued by normal life and discourages us from pursuing what would be the exploration of our unique paths, it is no reason to give up. What lies at the end of our journey—if we dare to venture through the jungle of expertly woven lies—will be worth the effort, or even the pain. The commitment to be an adventurer is surely a great start!
A journey of a thousand miles
It has been said that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a step. Indeed, if you have decided to be an adventurer who will seek out and fulfill destiny, then thinking right is a great next step.
We have heard repeatedly that when people set out to accomplish the impossible, they are inevitably met with discouragement. Some fail because of it, while others continue in their pursuit—often for the very same reasons presented by detractors.
The difference between the two groups is often a matter of thinking. The need for a right mindset cannot be overstated, as it directly affects how your life will turn out.
Don’t be a chicken-loving eagle
The way we think as individuals is, more often than not, influenced by our environment and the people we interact with. In fact, our outcomes reflect the position of the people we spend most of our time with.
What’s that saying? Birds of a feather flock together? Yes, that’s it. A direct implication of the path one has chosen can often be observed from the friends they keep. This age-old pattern is enough guidance for an adventurer.
If you want to be great, you have to associate with greatness. Eagles have no business playing with chickens—their place is in the skies, far above. However, if you, being an eagle, consistently share camaraderie with chickens—people who are fundamentally set on a course different from yours—how would you learn to fly?
Your destiny is dependent on others’, but it is simultaneously unique to you. Interestingly, no two people have the exact same destiny. Think of it this way: if our fingerprints were the key to our destinies, we would each open a different door. It was designed this way so that we each add something to one another—something that is one in 8 billion. If you think about it, this doesn’t make the journey easy, but it does make it a great adventure!
