In The End We Are What We Choose!

 

In The End We Are What We Choose!

 

What is the key to living a long, happy, and prosperous life? That appears to be a question we keep asking ourselves.

“When you are 80-years-old, and in a quiet moment of reflection narrating for only yourself the most personal version of your life story, the telling that will be most compact and meaningful will be the series of choices you have made,” Bezos said in his 2010 commencement speech at Princeton University.

In his speech, titled “We Are What We Choose,” Bezos emphasized the difference between gifts and choices: “Cleverness is a gift, kindness is a choice. Gifts are easy — they’re given after all. Choices can be hard. You can seduce yourself with your gifts if you’re not careful, and if you do, it’ll probably be to the detriment of your choices.”

In other words, no matter how successful you become, it won't be the amount of zeroes in your bank account that will matter most to you in the long run, but the decisions you took to get there.

But, without the advantage of hindsight, how can we judge if we're on the right track if we look back on our lives in 10, 20, or 30 years?

Making Decisions Is A Never-ending Effort.

Bezos highlighted the period of time when he originally had the notion to launch an online bookshop business in his talk (which would later become what the entire world now knows as Amazon).

He realized at the time that pursuing the notion would be a very dangerous move.

Bezos even sought guidance from his employer, whom he described as "intelligent" and "highly admired."

Although it "sounded like a very excellent concept," he was assured that if Bezos didn't already have a decent job, it "would be an even better idea."

There isn't such a thing as the "ideal" option.

In life, we will all make decisions that we will later come to regret. Failure is a positive thing since it teaches us how to improve. However, as we get older, we should try to reduce the amount of failures that result in regret.

“In the end, we are our choices. Build yourself a great story,” he said towards the end of his speech.

To build a great story, Bezos offered 12 questions and urged everyone to think deeply about them:

1.    How will you use your gifts?

2.    What choices will you make?

3.    Will inertia be your guide, or will you follow your passions?

4.    Will you follow dogma, or will you be original?

5.    Will you choose a life of ease, or a life of service and adventure?

6.    Will you wilt under criticism, or will you follow your convictions?

7.    Will you bluff it out when you’re wrong, or will you apologize?

8.    Will you guard your heart against rejection, or will you act when you fall in love?

9.    Will you play it safe, or will you be a little bit swashbuckling?

10.    When it’s tough, will you give up, or will you be relentless?

11.    Will you be a cynic, or will you be a builder?

12.    Will you be clever at the expense of others, or will you be kind?

While these questions do not provide a flawless recipe for happiness, they can help us make decisions that will help us live a life we are pleased of in the end.

Not everyone will achieve the same level of success as Bezos, a self-made millionaire and the world's second richest person.

But there's no reason we can't — or shouldn't — push ourselves to create a compelling story.

Can you pick THREE of those questions and answer them as your 80 year old self?

Drop your answer as a comment in the comment section

Be of a good cheer

#successwithdrjerrythefirst