Everything we have done and all the choices we have made have led us to where we are today. Our lives have been journeys: A journey from where we were to where we are now. There have been long and short roads; smooth and rocky roads; crooked and straight paths. In our life many roads have come our way as we journey through life.

Yet we are not done, there is still many roads to travel, and many choices to make. There are roads that lead to a life of single blessedness, marriage, and religious vocation. There are also roads that lead to fame and fortune on one hand, or isolation and poverty on the other. There are roads to happiness as there are roads to sadness, roads towards victory and jubilation, and roads leading to defeat and disappointment. There are corners, detours, and crossroads, with limited knowledge on where they would take you would you go, which road will you take? What is the guarantee that we would choose the right one along the way? Would you take any road, or just stay where you are?

There are no guarantees.

You do not really know where a road will lead you until you take it. There are no guarantees. This is one of the most important things you need to realize about life. Nobody said that choosing to do the right thing all the time would always lead you to success. Loving someone with all your heart does not guarantee that it would be returned. Gaining fame and fortune does not guarantee happiness. There are too many possible outcomes, which you really cannot control. The only thing you have power over is the decisions that you will make, and how you would act and react to the different situations as they arise.

Hindsight is always twenty twenty.

Had you known that you were making a wrong decision, would you have gone along with it? Perhaps not, why would you choose a certain path when you know it would get you lost? Why make a certain decision if you knew from the very beginning that it is not the right one. It is only after you have made a decision and reflected on it that you realize its soundness. If the consequences or outcomes are good for you, then you have decided correctly. Otherwise, your decision was wrong.

Take the risk: decide.

Since life offers no guarantees and you would never know that your decision would be wrong until you have made it, then you might as well take the risk and decide. It is definitely better than keeping you in limbo. Although it is true that one wrong turn could get you lost, it could also be that such a turn could be an opportunity for an adventure, moreover open more roads. It is all a matter of perspective. You have the choice between being a lost traveler or an accidental tourist of life. But take caution that you do not make decisions haphazardly. Taking risks is not about being careless and stupid. Here are some pointers that could help you choose the best option in the face of life's crossroads:

Get as much information as you can about your situation.

You cannot find the confidence to decide when you know so little about what you are faced with. So what to do? Get the information by asking. Just like any investigator, ask the 5 W's: what, who, when, where, and why. This is important, do not act without information. A uniformed decision is worse than an incorrect information decision. Oftentimes, the reason for indecision is the lack of information about a situation.

Identify and create options.

What options does the situation give you? Sometimes the options are few, but sometimes they are numerous. But what do you do when you think that the situation offers no options? This is the time that you create your own. Make your creative mind work. From the most simplistic to the most complicated, entertain all ideas. Do not shoot anything down when an idea comes to your head. Sometimes the most outrageous idea could prove to be the right one in the end. You can ask a friend to help you identify options and even make more options if you encounter some difficulty, but make sure that you make the decision yourself in the end.

Trust yourself and make that decision.

Now that you have assessed your options, it is now time to trust yourself. Remember that there are no guarantees and wrong decisions are always at hindsight. So choose… decide… believe that you are choosing the best option at this point in time.

Now that you have made a decision, be ready to face its consequences: good and bad. It may take you to a place of promise or to a land of problems. The important thing is that you have chosen to live! You have become the one in control, instead of remaining a bystander or a passive audience to your own life. Whether it is the right decision or not, only time can tell. But do not regret it whatever the outcome. Instead, learn from it and remember that you always have the chance to make better decisions in the future.

Be Blessed