Making Decisions​—An Unavoidable Challenge

“NOTHING is more difficult, and therefore more precious than to be able to decide,” Napoleon Bonaparte, 19th-century emperor of France, once said. You may agree on both counts, since people generally treasure being in control of their own lives. At the same time, they have learned that making decisions is sometimes far from easy.

Whether easy or hard, making decisions is unavoidable. We are faced with the task daily. After getting up in the morning, we must decide what to wear, what to eat for breakfast, and how to handle dozens of other things during the day. Most of these decisions are of only minor concern. We rarely give them a second thought. Seldom do we lose sleep over whether they were wise or unwise.

On the other hand, some decisions are far-reaching. Many young people in the world of today must decide what goals to pursue. They may have to decide what kind of schooling they need and how much. Sooner or later most of them will decide whether to marry or to continue single. Those opting for marriage must decide: ‘Am I old enough and mature enough to marry? What kind of partner do I want, or more important, what kind of partner do I need?’ Few decisions in life influence us more profoundly than our choice of mate.

In matters of major importance, it is vital to make wise decisions, since happiness is largely dependent on our doing so. Some people may feel that they are quite capable of making such decisions and may reject help when it is offered. Is that wise? Let us see.

[Picture Credit Line on page 3]

Napoleon: From the book The Pictorial History of the World