Real decision

What is making real decision? Have you ever wonder?

I attended a seminar last night. It is actually a 3 day seminar but I only went for one - the 1st session of the 3 days. I made up excuses for not being able to attend for the next 2 days. Hmmphh....frankly, I regretted not attending. Because last night was just the beginning. The best part has yet to come.

The speaker, Basel, from South Africa & Australia ( born in SA, lived there for awhile, then moved to Aus & been traveling to and fro ever since) is really fantastic.

He started off his seminar by asking why are we there tonight. In fact, he said something about sharing the tickets. 3 persons sharing a ticket and each will attend will attend a session. By doing so, we split the cost. Hehe...funny...he seemed to have read some of our minds.

Basel spoke about his personal life. About how he was living. How he started smoking. He was challenged by a friend, either he takes a puff to proof that he is a man or else he must be a chicken. So being a man with his ego, he had his first smoke. Then he got hooked on it. He also started drinking and swearing. he was told it has to be this way. It's just part of his working life.

When he met his wife, he decided to quit drinking. So he did. He decided to stop swearing, so he did. He decided to quit smoking. But he didn't. He has made a decision to quit. So he went to a doctor who gave him some menthol sweets to suck. First 2 days was fine. No smoking. On the 3rd day, he had a stick. The next day he had 3 sticks. And the following day he had 30 sticks. So he was back to square one.

Then he heard about applying the patch on the arm and leg which will help to quit smoking and so he did. First 2 days was fine. No smoking. On the 3rd day, he had a stick. The next day he had 3 sticks. And the following day he had 30 sticks. So he was back to square one.

Then he heard meditation will help. First 2 days was fine. No smoking. On the 3rd day, he had a stick. The next day he had 3 sticks. And the following day he had 30 sticks. So he was back to square one.

And the story goes on and on. He has made a decision. A decision to quit smoking. Each time he failed, he was still very much decided that he wants to quit smoking.

One day, while playing tennis, he couldn't breathe. While gasping for breath, he told his wife that he wants to quit smoking. He then handed his pack of cigarettes to his wife and told her to keep it away from him. he said he didn't want to die. And that was the day, he REALLY quit smoking. He stopped smoking after 91/2 years of making his decision to quit smoking.

So, what is making real decision? have we been making decisions in our lives or have we been making real decisions in our lives?