There are stories floating in youtube shorts about two guys, both are digging in the hope of find gold, the first one digging for many days without any result, then the other guy who are digging with the same amount of time already found a small chunk of gold and get rich. The first guy give up the spot he’s been digging in and try to dig in the spot that the second guy left behind, not knowing that the spot he’s been digging in got more gold than the second guy’s spot.
This story tells us about how close we are to success when we felt we can’t carry on the work anymore. More often than not, our efforts bear fruit not to us but for those after us. Its like we plant trees not for us to enjoy, but for other people to enjoy. In this case, after the first guy change his spot, another guy come in and continue his works, and found enourmous gold and get rich.
In another story, the story teller tell us that it could be a bomb is waiting for the first guy to dig in. Another guy comes in, continue his works, find a forgotten bomb, and die because his axe trigger the bomb to explode. Knowing this, the first guy feels sorry and think that his decision to change spot was correct.
Which story do you like? either story is logically sound and correct isn’t ?
Every choice we take in life, won’t necessary bring us good or bad fortune. It can go both ways. Therefore it is better for us to develop a mental readiness to accept whatever our decisions’ result are.
If before doing the digging, the first guy has a mental readiness, he will said to himself, no matter what, i am going to dig the spot. Either i am going to be rich ,die in an explosion or get nothing at all, i just do not want to live with regret in why whole life. He surely will keep digging his spot until he can’t do digging anymore. In the end, the result will follow, either he will be rich, die, or get nothing.
However, there is also a wisdom, in changing our decision in the middle, as shown in the story above. If we can change our decision and it proves more beneficial to us, why should we committed in doing the same thing without apparent results. The ironi is, even if we change our decision in the middle, the same probable results are the same, the gold, the explosion and nothing.
In every decision we take, the same probability of result will follow. Even being inaction or indecisive will have the same probable consequences.
I know its frustrating to accept this fact, it seems that our fate is already being determined. However, though every decision we take may bear the same probable of outcomes, the probability of each occurance will differ time to time.
If the first digger, dig the spot with a knowledge about the average depth of gold deposit in that spot, he can determine how long and how deep he should dig. Thus, reduce his chance to get nothing at all.
If he also, uses robot instead of himself to dig, he can minimize the risk of dying. Even though, purchase a robot to dig may cost him a fortune, but not as costly as losing one’s life
There are many ways for us to increase our probability of success and minimize our risk, if we choose to act and do something. However, if we choose inaction, the probability of finding the gold will be almost zero, yeah, you can argue, there is also a probability of the earth have an earthquake, the diggers get buried alive, while the gold deposits become visible enough for those who choose inaction to get it without even work.
I do not rule out that possibility, though, because of its rarity its almost impossible to happen. Beside, the knowledge we got from being proactice, is irreplacable, as it gives us knowledge of how to do it again in the future and in other area with greater efficiency
In the end, those who act get more than who don’t