LIFE DETERMINES, YOU DECIDE; Knowing Your Power To Make Decisions

Hello fellow Steemians.

I will begin by wishing you a very great new year.
I wish you all, fulfilled dreams and goals.

I have unfortunately been away for some time now. Sincerely, it was really sad period for me because I couldn't connect with my friends online and as a writer and a Steemian, I had to spend that period not
splodging my creativity on digital walls as well as learn. But to God's glory, I'm back to continue from where I stopped.

Now coming to the drift I have for you.
It has often been believed that as individuals, we decide who we meet in life. Well said but I won't agree to that thesis.

Let me start by giving an illustration.
If today I decide to embark on a journey for some work of charity. On reaching my destination, I started carrying out my outreach, helping these people. After I finished, on my way back, I was robbed by armed rubbers.

(if I can determine who I meet, then, I would have pre-played the unfortunate incidence)

Story continues.........

As I was lying helplessly by the road, unconsciously. The next thing I saw when I regained consciousness was the beautifully designed P. O. P vertically far above my body and beside me is the CEO of a company who was the Samaritan that saved me.

Fast forward...... He later helped me set up an NGO to reach out to the destitude.

The above illustration only reveals to us that life determines who we meet in life and not by deciding, ourselves. Even when it comes to making friends, life present to you different people but you choose who you become friends with.

Now let's look at another illustration which shows how we have the power to decide who influences us.

I happen to have two friends in college.
Friend1 is in another department while we are both in the same department with Friend2 as well as share the same apartment. Unfortunately, Friend2 was influenced by partying, drinking and Boss-chick way of life, of our roommates. In as much as we live together and attend lectures together, I always avoid spending my leisures with them. Instead I spend it with Friend1 or I engage myself in self productive activities.

The above illustration shows how I decided not to be negatively influenced by those living closest to me. I had the best excuse to give for being influenced negatively (the members of my room and a friend) but I decided to be influenced by a friend who sometimes I barely see except at leisure and other joined activities.

A lot of people are entangled in the web of giving excuses for being negatively influenced that they forget that they have the power to decide who influences them.

Dear Reader, within you is a great power called, DECISION MAKING. If this power is used wisely it will yield integrity but if it's used foolishly in the thought of being wise, one will yield great despair.

In conclusion, one of the exquisite(s) of life, lies in making the right and worthwhile decision. Hence I ask, "Who have you decided to be influenced by?"

PS: who ever you decide to be influenced by, will directly or indirectly either make your 2018 goals, reality or mar them.

Keep tabs as I will share on "What They Were Influenced By" in my next post

Thanks for taking your time to read, upvote and share your thoughts in the comment section.
MAAPEM (it means "thank you" in my dialect, which is "Kadara")

iMIIB
@Doris12