[NOT A STORY]
In the past year, I've stayed home most of the time due to the pandemic. Although being locked in can be depressing, I decided to use the extra time to reflect on my journey as a human being. I've jotted down a few pages of the "lesson...
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"We always have other choices, even when it seems like we don't."
Have you ever stuck in a situation where you feel like you only have one choice?
Think again.
Back in 2014, I quitted my office job in Jakarta and returned home to Narnia. It was a big decision. I was tired of being an office-worker, and looking for a breakthrough. I had only one plan regarding what to do in Narnia: to open my own business.
Fast forward two years later, the business didn't go quite as I expected. And my business partner left, making me the sole manager of everything. I was hustling to stay on my feet. I had poured my heart and soul (and obviously, money) into my business, at that time. Therefore, I felt that if the business was going down, as a "good" business owner, I should loyally go down as well. Stress and high pressures blinded me to see clearly. I thought I had no other choice: my life was ending.
It was my mother who awakened me from such blindness.
She said: "You're 25 and very bright. Life doesn't normally end at 25 unless you have a terminal illness. The truth is, life has just begun at 25."
Okay, the bright part was biased. But her words made me realized that I shouldn't go down with the business. Despite all the hustles I did to sustain the job, I COULD let it go. It was completely normal; some businesses survive and grow; some stop and be laid low. It might be the inevitable doom for my business, but NOT for me. I could continue my journey.
It took me a few weeks to come up with a new plan. So instead of falling into despair, I decided to sell all the assets, split the money for saving and for financing my next journey: to study abroad. I was grateful that I chose the "other" option: it allowed me to visit another country, learn new skills, have better jobs, make new friends, save even MORE money, and most importantly, grow as a person.
I caught in a similar circumstance lately. That time, I was torn between choosing to stay in Narnia or to relocate to a new place for a new job. What made that decision so hard is the current COVID situation. Despite all the travel prevention, the company that I applied to doesn't allow working from home (dangerous, right? I know). I didn't want to go, but I didn't want to let go of the job either. It was choosing between putting my health at risk or getting money. Tough, huh? I know.
Once again, my mother reminded me that it wasn't the only choice I had. I could still stay and earn money. She kindly reminded me that I was once a businessman, and managed to make the business afloat for 2 years. I can always go back to doing business. The past failure didn't convince me to retry, nevertheless, I unwillingly postponed joining the new company. I had a long and exhausting discussion with the HRD people, explaining why I decided to stay in Narnia instead of going to the COVID red zone. The HRD finally agreed, they decided that I can re-apply again next year.
You know what funny about such situations? The GREAT thing only happened LATER, after I took the other choice.
The next day after the discussion, the HR people contacted me again. They offered me a part-time position that can be done remotely, and I will still accept all the perks and benefits similar to the full-time employee.
Cool, right?
These experiences taught me that, we often feel like we face a dead-end in this life. There's no other way but the only way that lay in front of us. But that's not true. We always have other choices. Stress and pressure often cloud our judgement. I'm grateful that in my case, the Almighty use my inner circle (family, close friends) to remind me about the "other" scenarios that I often accidentally ignored.
But what if I don't have someone I can trust?
Then stop. Don't make another move. Walk back, and observe. Most of the time, we feel stuck because we fix our eyes solely on the road we're walking on. But if you look up and open your eyes, you may see that it is not the only road that can lead you to your destination. Who knows... maybe the road that often unseen, can bring you the most amazing journey.
Many ways to Rome, said the wise.
Believe me, it is true.
Never let the situation, other people, or even yourself believe that you're stuck with only one choice because you're not. Look further.
