Can do

First thing that came to mind when I woke up this morning.

When it comes to the most important things in life, you are always presented with the choice of choosing to or not to. By most important things, I mean time, health, character to name a few.

Speaking from a student's perspective, there are so many things to juggle in a day such that sometimes, or rather most of the time 24 hours a day is just not enough. Yet 24 hours it will be, that will never change. And so prioritizing and putting first things first comes into play. We know that studies are supposed to be the top priority, yet fun and exciting activities seem to get in the way all the time and we end up playing and find we lack time to study. But wait, you have the option of pushing away those activities. You can actually choose to spend time studying. It might not be the most exciting thing to do, but it is the wiser. You can also choose to use your recreational time wisely by doing things that are productive and would be of use in the future.

Unpalatable (so to speak) vegetables or delicious fast food? White rice or brown rice? Bland chicken meat or tasty processed sausages? Sleeping early or in the wee hours of the morning going online and phone texting? Again, it all boils down to what you would choose in the end. Very easy to take the more appealing option, yet the choice of choosing the healthier option remains.

When everyone else around you is swearing, cursing, mocking; drinking, smoking or clubbing; cheating, deceiving, betraying, gossiping; quarreling, fighting, rebelling; robbing, destroying and vandalizing, it is easy to follow the crowd. But when everyone is flirting, you can choose to be set apart; in the midst of cheaters, to be trustworthy and righteous; while people are gossiping, to not participate in it; in the middle of a fight, to not retaliate and walk away; when persecuted and insulted, to remain calm, cool and controlled. Standing your ground when 'everyone else is doing it'.

The catch is, there is a difference between merely saying and choosing. One could say, 'I will clock in 3 hours of study today' or 'I will sleep by 11PM' and not do what they mentioned. Most of the time they say such things because they have the desire and will to do something, but somehow lack the final step in realizing it. Choosing however differs in a sense it is the combination of both desiring and acting on it. For instance in a chess game your opponent asks you 'black or white?', and you say 'white' because you decide to choose it, obviously you would not then proceed to arrange the black chess pieces on your side. Once you have chosen white, you would play with white. When you choose something, the action definitely follows through.

So the next time you know you need to study, do not say 'I will/must study afterwards'. In this case, words do not mean anything. Instead, quietly make the decision in your heart 'I choose to study later'. And remember, after choosing it is a done deal.