The Power of Split-Second Decisions

Pardon me for being a bit cheesy about this. It’s just who I am take it or leave it. No one has to read this or anything else I write but I enjoy it as writing is one of my favorite things. My point is this: It’s not just one moment that changes everything. It’s all of them.

Every Split-Second Decision Changes Everything

Every split-second decision changes the course of our lives. These decisions are what led me to choose one career path over another, to connect with certain people or keep my distance, and to embrace or abandon beliefs. They are the moments that kept me from perilous situations and taught me the importance of staying calm and not acting impulsively.

Life as a Series of Choices

It’s everything. All the experiences we undergo are like sliding doors, as I’ve always thought since reading The Slide. Some moments come down to our choices, and some are simply a matter of chance. The journey continues without end, and that is incredibly exciting and beautiful. I just love life and people. We all live our own constant miracle. I am so grateful for being alive and have learned to appreciate every moment, to enjoy the love and beauty, and to cope with the darkness.

A Real-Life Split-Second Decision

Let me share a story that highlighted the power of split-second decisions. One evening, during rush hour, I found myself in downtown city traffic, with three lanes bumper-to-bumper at 60mph. I was in the right lane, as my exit to home was only 3 miles away, just after the split from I-95 N to I-64 E.

The Critical Moment

As I approached the next exit, I could see that traffic had come to a standstill on the overpass ahead. The next exit led to street level with a traffic light, while I-95/I-64 curving to the right. With a short line of sight at 60mph, I reached the top of the hill and saw that traffic was stopped.

My decision was clear: to safely stop at the traffic light at the end of the exit ramp rather than risk going through when the car behind me would have rear-ended me at 60mph. The impact was quite loud, but getting home required only crossing city streets, which wasn’t much of an inconvenience.

Reflection on Life and Choices

These types of moments occur frequently in our lives, and we can choose to act or not. Often, we realize the importance of our actions only in retrospect. But in that split second, we must decide what matters most in that moment.

Each decision, no matter how small, shapes the person we are today. Whether it’s choosing to connect with someone new, pursuing a different career, or learning to be more patient and calm – every decision is a step forward, a building block of our journey.

Conclusion

It’s not just one moment that changes everything. It’s every moment. The choices we make, and the decisions we don’t, all contribute to the story of our lives. Life is a constant miracle, full of endless possibilities and moments of choice.

To all my readers: I hope this story resonated with you. If you appreciate this kind of introspection and continue to read my articles, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. You know how and why. Peace.