“It is all a matter of choices “

At every step, life offers a range of options to choose from possibilities to explore opportunities.

Each opportunity is an outcome of a choice we have made and each choice determines the nature of possibilities to explore further opportunities.

How intertwined are our “possibilities”-“opportunities” and “choices”.

Being able to make every single choice contributes to decision- making.

More than half of the world’s problems would be solved if we start taking ownership of our decisions than holding others responsible for our troubles.

While I respect seeking advice and understanding diverse perspectives, I firmly believe in being accountable at every step and making a choice for myself.

But I wonder,

• How do we become aware of what to choose, when to choose and how to choose?
• When is that right moment to choose that now I am ready to make a choice for myself?
• Do we have a subject in school that teaches decision–making?
• Is there an age limit that makes us eligible to make a choice?

Then how do we expect young children who have grown up following instructions, listening to do’s and don’ts grow into adults capable of decision making.

Do we offer conscious decision-making skills to our students at every level?

Decision – making is a crucial skill that grows over a period of time. Society needs to set examples for children to practice decision-making and being able to choose based on their understanding

While guidance is crucial, it is equally important to let children choose and face the consequence of their decisions. When I see teachers telling students, “Do not run in the corridor? I wonder how many kids actually obey it. Sometimes children often display the opposite of whatever is instructed to them. If I go back to my own childhood and recall every moment when I tried to do exactly the opposite of what I was told to do, my intention was not to be rebellious nor did I have any problem in comprehending the instructions, but I actually wanted to take the ownership of the consequences occurred as a matter of choices I made.

Over the years, I have learnt that every right choice has empowered me. It has given me strength to patiently deal with the outcomes of wrong choices in life. It has helped to accept mistakes and view them as opportunities for further growth.

When we provide exposure to students to make choices, it certainly contributes to strengthening and developing self-esteem among young individuals who grow up as confident, strong and empowered adults capable of decision -making.

• In school, children wait for teachers to remind them to complete their homework, to individuals being reminded by manager in office to complete the assignments; how similar the situation seems. As individuals, why do we choose to live as manipulative puppets in the hands of our environment??
• From being students who are served answers to questions in a classroom to employees working under dominating managers, how do we choose to distinguish between spoon feeding and hand-holding to provide support. While hand-holding is essential to provide direction, spoon feeding is often a slow poison killing the natural ability to think independently. ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
• Being able to choose what is worthy to be chosen is yet another important choice we need to make at every step. For instance, if a person is asked to speak for himself and take a stand, how does he distinguish the situation worthy to fight for? Often, such an advice is misunderstood as being rebellious for everything. Then are we preparing our students to identify and choose between the situations that requires action or the ones that are easy to let go.
• During my interactions with the educators, I have often heard students taking MCQs assessments with a non-serious attitude. Is it because as educators, we still fail to sensitize students towards the significance of choices in life and the impact we could create by choosing correctly. Are we training students to read, comprehend, analyse and then attempt choices not only in mere assessments but also in everyday life.

Do we have any training for individuals to teach them how to choose peace for themselves and the society? ?Without compromising on ethics??

“Its all a matter of choices.” Taking ownership of our choices will help us solve many problems for ourselves.

What we choose to become? Who we are? determines how we choose to respond to different situations in life, why do we choose to be who we are? determines the journey ahead.