Decision

Media

Part of Green and White

Title: Decision
Language: English
Year: 1930
Rights
Fulltext: GREEN AND WHITE 167 when all these catastrophes were at their worst, we beheld the island sinking slowly beneath us. And when the waters closed above the highest mountain peak, all of a sudden, the sky became clear, the sea became calm, and we saw the glorious sun rising in the eastern horizon. The mysterious island disappeared forever. High up in the air we fL~w, reJ01cmg; above the clouds we sailed exulting: higher and high.:r still we flew. The spinning earth we left behind us. Into r.~gions of sunshine perpetual we will fly, the celestial worlds we will visit, but never more shall the earth attract us; never more sh:ill the fury of m.~n persecute us. Nzver morz, never more, shall we return. This book we. leave for your perusal. Adieu! dear rr:ader. (And I he last page of the golden book vanished from my hands. I looked at the blue sea before me, and seemed to see the mysterious island. I looked up at the blue sky, and seemed to see the Wise Owl and the Black Bat taking their leave of this earth and saying to me, '·Neuer more shall we return, never more shall w:: return. Farewell, dear reader.") 0, you that would visit the moon in a cigar balloon, if you ever get there, expect not in the height of presumption to see the Man in the Moon, for great indeed will be your disappointmrnt. He is not to be seen by profane eyes. He is only visible to a certain class of people. Only children see him with their innocent eyes, see him with their innocent imaginations, think of him with their innocent minds, and love him with their innocent hearts. How often m my young years have I thought of him, too. ----·«:.--Decision By Angel A. Roman, Jr. QECISION is that "phase of mental activity in which a volitional tendency reaches its completion." The whole trend of the present remarks, however, will deal with decision as being the conclusion or resolution arrived at' by an individual ;:ifter deep thinking, that is, after weighing every fact that mitigates or aggravates each and every circumstance n~garding a certain matter. Decision may prove beneficial and sometimes fatal to an individual, to associations and to nations. Quick decision and immediatz action have carried •many a man over critical plights where a little hesitation or deliberation would have spelled ruin. Napoleon's audacity and power of quick decision won for hi;m victoi;ies and conquests. Alexander succeeded in conquering the world by virtue of his stern will and decision. Thus when are confronted by a crisis or dile/m'ma, have pored on it, and finally have arrived at a derision, then the rest must be governed by that decision. We cannot go back on it. To hesitate or falter and not to have the will to carry out our schemes, would be only to lose one's golden opportunity in life. Each and every individual cherishes different ambitions and dreams during his youth. Each and every one of them longs to realiz.~ and attain his coveted goal. But in most instances, their efforts are in vain. Because, although they have bright prospects and are fitted to accomplish great achievements, their failure to decide which course to follow when they were young, and remaining stagnant, so to say, have made them what th~y ought not to bemere "nobodies". Thus through lack of proper decision, their hope faded into the hazy distance, and with it their golden chance of suecess. Quick decision and prompt action are requisite factors for the person who is to be a succzss in life. Our ideals and projects can materialize only-wh~n we have cdme to a conclusion or resolution to put them into execution at the earliest time possible. Many a promising scheme has turned into a discouraging fail168 GREEN AND WHITE ure, simply tihru failure of its author to act quickly. Wt~ must therefore, be not afraid to start. It is always better to move forward, although we might receive occasional setbacks, than to remain at a standstill and accomplish nothing. For as the late President Roosevelt once said: "It is not th.2 critic who counts, nor tlie man who points out how the strong man stu1 mbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit l::dongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat; who strives valiar..tly; who errs, and may fall again and again, be: cause th2re is not effort without error and shortcoming, but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows the great entihusias'm; the great devotion; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at best, knows in thP. end the triumph of high achievement and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and tilmid souls who know neither victory nor defeat." It is decision that will enable us to fight and conquer the inevitable temptations and solicitations of pleasure in the hard and duteous path. It is indecision and the lack of the will to say "No" that will render us easy captives of Satan. An individual may poss.2ss talents of the highest order, good dispositions and bright prospects; but, if he cannot say "No," when the occasion arises, his chances of being a success are very slim. Money, talent and energy have been wasted without bringing an adequate and beneficial return to an individual, to associations and to nations. The causes are varied and multiple. But it may largely be attributed to wrong dec1s1on. Germany's wrong decision and desire for imperialism brought about the Great World War, which resulted only in her destruction. If we turn over the pag.~s of the history of the World, it will be no hard task to find the numberless instances where wars and revolutions were caused or quenched by Thcision. Sad it is to state that History is filled with decisionshasty decisions. If care and sound judgm~nt bad always been adopted in the forming of a decision, ours would be a diff.2rent History; the world would be a different world. Scientists and inventors would have us know that we are in an age of Speed. As far as means of transportation and methods of tra ~ 21 :>rz concerned we agree. But there are cert?.in things as old as Man, that now move at a pace equal to the pac.2 they enjoyed at the ti;me of tbc first man, even though we are in an age of speed. And what is more, time will never increase or less.2n their pace. Yet soime peo,i!e would increase the pace and the result-failure! [f confrontd with a crisis, these people would try to waive it aside, the!). when the realization comes that they must act, that they must decide once and for all, they would ponder on it for a brief time, and then, in the flash of an instant, they would calmly assure you that they have arrived at a decision. The irony of it! Arrive at a decision, in such a short time and thus cross their Rubicon and burn thei; bridges. Even if they were to fail to fulfill their decision, we would have no use for them. And so, as we plunge deeper into the pool of Decision, we realize its delicacy; we understand its importance. We can easily comprehend why deep thinking, clear disc.ern:ment, and sound judgment must be employed. We realize why hesitancy is incompatible with Right Decision. We can see why Wrong Thcision has spelled Failure to many a man. And finally we must never forget the admirable examples offered by our own history. Wars and revolutions were wag.2d and quenched 'by Thcision. And then the great truth confronts us: If care and sound judgment had alway.s been employed in the forming of a decision, ours would be a different. history; the world would be a different world.