THAT SPLIT SECOND

"I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish humble tasks as though they were great and noble. The world is moved along, not only by the mighty shoves of its heroes, but also by the aggregate of the tiny pushes of each honest worker".  ~Hellen Keller

Life Signatures can be determined...in a split second. The keyword here is DETERMINED. I am a firm believer of incubation and processes, yet even that most important concept in life is preceded by...the SPLIT SECOND. The split second is nothing but the moment of DECISION. In a split second, I can decide to go for the fourth chapati (that means the minimum is three here, hehehehe). In a split second, I can decide to do 'one for the road'. We all know where that normally leads. In a split second, I can decide to go against the grain for the better long run, or maintain the mundane comfortable 'till a later date'.

Friends, we are all faced with that opportunity every single day. It does not take 20 years to decide to live a life of purpose. Neither does it take long to decide to live a wanton and destructive life. It takes a split second. Why is it that way? Simple. We are not robbots, neither are we tamed animals. We are human beings laddend with serious potential. We are meant for success, significance, wealth and greatness. Yet all these things are not a function of copying and pasting. They are a result of conscious choices we make in a life full of split seconds!

When Mike Tyson bit off Evander Holyfield's precious ears, it was a split-second decision. I can almost assure you that it was not a pre-meditated move. Yet, several decades down the line, Iron Mike still is affected by that split-second decision, albeit practising for the bout for months! The decision to have sex before marriage is normally taken in a 'split second'. Yeah, they will tell you that you have thought about it and meditated upon it. That plays a big and major role in the final decision...yet still the real decision is taken in 'split seconds.'

The split second  has a major power in shaping the destiny of a visionary. You know why? Because the split second decision is always gauged between two things: the bright and shiny objects (distractions), and the pale, un-inviting fundamentals that do not guarantee immediate comfort and thrill. I need you to know that in that moment of pressure, in the split-second, you always are in CONTROL. Can I tell you the shortcut for power? It is in a split second, against the lure of the now-now comfort and thrill, standing firm to choose the fundamentals that will ultimately shape a Life Signature. Ngina Otiende says it this way, "Saying 'No' to yourself and others deepens you". There are many happy people in this world, but I can tell you this: The happiest of them all are those who have made the decision that 'deepens' them in a split second!

 

Now, the most interesting thing about the split second is the GRACE available to us to operate AFTER we have made our choice. Whether we choose wisely or not, we have the psychological backing to see us through, just because we CHOSE...and as we do, we also decide the quality of the life that we will have.

In a friendship some years past, I had that opportunity. I had that split second right infront of me. I had a major chance to choose forgiveness right there and then against revenge and pacifying of my anger. I mean, I was justified to complain, front my rights and demand an apology. I also had the opportunity to say, "Forgive them Father, they know not what they are doing". Sadly, I chose the other way. In a split second, the following six months of my life were defined by that tragic decision I made. Tough. Traumatising. Maddening. Infuriating. To cure my anger, I took to running, but I only came back madder! Looking back, I can now see how things would have been different, and much better, if in that split second, I would have chosen otherwise.

I know I have advocated for taking time to PLAN before we execute. It reminds me of an army General who said that plans made before war are mostly useless at war...yet they are still indespensable. The moral is that Life is what happens when we are busy making other plans. The bigger planning is crucial and critical, however, the daily decisions we take are far much more important and impactful.

Friend, we live life in several opportunities of split-second decisions. I know you will take care about that, wont you?