[Aug 2025] About Clarity & Risks
Life gets better when you get better at making decisions!
Hey Champ,
I miss you with all my heart and not a day goes by when I don’t try to push myself to live another day, so that one day I can see you again.
We all have a thousand reasons every day to give up and just fail. We need just one reason to stand up and move forward. For me, among all the reasons that I can think of - you, and ‘making you proud’ are the big ones!
There is a version of you that I keep remembering and I know that version is probably not there anymore but you should know that it was there at some point of time, and as long as I live, I will remember that little champ who would curl up in my arms and just go to sleep. Countless times, I would lovingly pick you up from the car, after our long drives, and take you to your bed. In those few seconds, it would feel like a mission and completing that task successfully, would always feel like an achievement that would make my day.
There was a particular tune that I used to hum while putting you to sleep. I still hum it at times.
Anybody else reading this, would probably not get it.
It is pain, like nothing else - to see you every where, but find you nowhere. But I don’t mind it! I accept it as a blessing and I know there is a power somewhere that is looking out for you and when the time is right, this pain will turn into something beautiful.
Be safe, be amazing and may God always be there to protect you and help you with everything you need.
Here is my thought for this month - not some gyan! Just an insight, that will hopefully make sense to you some day!
It is about - decision-making!
You know, it is not that simple, at times to decide which way to go. I mean - at your age, you probably find it tough to choose between an ice-cream and a pizza! Or between a cola and a lime juice, assuming that you are given a choice and you have to choose one.
As you grow up though, those choices become harder and harder. Which career to choose? Which friends to hang out with? Which girl to marry? Then you make a family of your own and you find yourself helping them make choices for their future as well.
So - is there a trick to decide? I wish I could say yes - but no, there is no trick to decide. Some would say - go with your heart. Others would say think long and hard. And some might tell you to just go with your instincts!
All appropriate responses - depending on their context and what they want in life.
However, what I have found is that when it comes to decisions that truly make a lasting impact on your life or someone else’s life - it is very important to follow 2 thumb-rules!
GET CLARITY
KNOW RISKS
CLARITY: Without clarity, you won’t know what you are choosing - so this is quite an obvious requirement. However, a lot of us just jump into whatever looks easier, more comfortable and profitable in the short term. We tend to choose a small payoff now and reject the larger payoff later - simply because as humans, we are wired to avoid immediate pain.
Some of us don’t even go to the extent of understanding short-term and long-term - and simply decide based on what appears to be good - in the moment! That is why anger is your biggest enemy and patience is your most loyal friend. Anger clouds your judgement and makes you forget about the consequences of your actions. Patience - on the other hand - tells you to look at the larger picture and choose the path that would work better for you in the long run.
Just remember, you can’t get clarity - without asking tough questions that may seem uncomfortable or inconvenient - but are absolutely critical for us to know everything you need to know before taking a decision.
In the real world, experienced businessmen call this ‘DUE DILIGENCE’ and they don’t take their decisions without asking all the questions that require clear and verifiable answers.
RISKS: Once you have gathered all the information you could, you have got to sit down and weigh all your options and the one thing that you absolutely must watch out for is RISKS. Every choice that we make - has risks attached to those choices. Those risks are easy to ignore because we tend to make assumptions and go with FAITH & BELIEFS - when we need to go with REALITY & FACTS staring us in our face. That’s how battles are lost and empires are crushed! You know the ‘Trojan Horse’ story? Look it up.
In the end - we all make mistakes! Decision making - is a skill that we learn over time. But the faster we learn - the better our lives are going to be. So - don’t waste your ‘failures’ - they are all teaching you something important. No point in crying over spilt milk or whatever you have lost or failed to get.
Evaluate → Improve → Evaluate.
That’s all - buddy! Hope you are truly taking good care of yourself! You are your BIGGEST responsibility. So - eat well, exercise, drink water, avoid junk food, avoid sugar - and in general, make smart choices! These are the little decisions that - if taken right, help you the most - when the time for bigger decisions comes up!
Love you!
Your Papa!