Your life is up to you!

There was a wise man in China who was known for his prophetic abilities. One day, two young men went to look for him. The two men wanted to fool the wise man, so they came up with the following idea: one of them hid a chick in his right hand and asked the wise man: "O wise man, I have a little bird in my right hand, tell me if it is dead or alive?" "Think about it, if the wise man said, "The bird is alive," then the person holding the bird would inadvertently shake his hand and kill the bird, and in this way fool the wise man. If he says, "The bird is dead," then the person only needs to let go of his hand and the bird will flutter its wings. The two men thought they were foolproof because they felt that there were only two answers to the question.

When they were convinced that their plan was perfect, they set out for the wise man's house, intending to play the trick with him. They soon met the wise man and asked the prepared question: "O wise man, do you think that the bird in my hand is dead or alive?" One of them asked. The old man looked at them for a long time, smiled, and replied: "I tell you, my friend, whether this bird is dead or alive depends entirely on your hand!" This old parable illustrates the truth that your life is up to you, and that the quality of your life is entirely up to you, and that you are the one who makes the decisions. It was Staniszlo's decision that led to his escape from the Nazi concentration camps.

Just because Stanislot was Jewish, the Nazis broke into his home, arrested his family, and herded them like cattle on a train all the way to the chilling Auschwitz death camp. He never imagined that one day he would witness the death of his family, how could he bear this kind of heartache when his children just went to take a "shower" and disappeared, while the clothes were worn on other children? Yet he gritted his teeth and survived. He knew that one day he would have to face the same nightmare that he couldn't hide, and that if he stayed in this camp for one more day, he would not be able to survive. So he made a "decision" that he had to flee, and the sooner the better. Although he didn't know how to escape at the moment, he knew that he couldn't run away. Over the next few weeks, he eagerly asked the others, "Is there any way we can get out of this terrible place?" But the answer is always the same: "Don't be stupid, aren't you trying in vain, how can you escape from this place." Or work obediently, and ask God to bless you a lot! These words did not discourage him, he was not the kind of person who resigned himself to fate, and the more others said that, the more he was motivated to survive. He still thinks to himself, "How am I going to escape?" There's always a way, right? What do I have to do today to get out of this hellish place safely? Although the way he came up with an escape was ridiculous at times, he was never discouraged and still used his brains with perseverance. Anthony Robin believes that if we ask earnestly, we will surely receive. I don't know what the reason is, but it is likely that Staniszlo has been "eagerly" exploring the question of escape for a long time, thus arousing the great power hidden in his heart, and finally one day he got the answer. This way of escape is simply no one can think of, and that is with the help of the stench of rotting corpses.

This method was possible, because within a few steps of his work was a pile of dead bodies, men and women, adults and children, who had been poisoned in the gas. The removal of gold teeth from their mouths, the removal of valuable jewels, and the stripping of their clothes may raise the question to Staniszlo, "How am I going to use this opportunity to escape?" He soon got an answer.

When the day was about to be called a day and everyone was busy packing up their tools, Stanislo, taking advantage of the fact that no one was looking, quickly hid behind the truck, took off all his clothes, and lay naked on the pile of dead bodies with lightning speed, pretending to be exactly like dead people. He held his breath and didn't move, even though there were other corpses piled on top of him later. There were a number of dead bodies piled up around him at this moment, some of them stenching and bleeding, which did not make Staniszlo move in the slightest, lest others find out that he had cheated his death, and he just waited quietly to be loaded into the car and drove away. Finally he heard the sound of the truck's engine starting, and he stumbled down the road, and although the smell around him was very unpleasant, there was already a glimmer of hope in his heart to live. Soon the truck came to a steep halt in front of a large pit and dumped unloading an unsightly load of dozens of dead bodies and a living person pretending to be dead. In the pit, Stanislot remained still, waiting for the minutes to pass, until twilight fell and there was no one around, and then he quietly climbed up to the mouth of the pit, and ran seventy kilometers in one breath, despite being defenseless, and finally survived.

Countless people died in Auschwitz, but Stanislot survived. Needless to say, there were many reasons, but the most important one was that he made a decision that no one else dared to make and asked himself this question from time to time, and also desperately sought the answer to it, and finally his brain finally gave him what he wanted, and this answer saved his life. Stanislo's ability to survive can be said to be the result of his decision and actions to survive, otherwise how could there be such an outcome? Anni Robin believed that the fault of our low status is not in our stars, but in our hearts. Indeed, the decisions we make in our hearts affect our actions, our direction, and even our ultimate destiny, and this chain of influences can be said to be the product of our "thinking"—the process by which our minds "identify and create meaning" in life, so if we want to create a life, we have to make a decision.

(1) You are the one who makes the decision

Anthony Robin found in the survey that more than 40 percent of the people said that they are currently at the "peak" or "brilliant" stage of their careers. Later, it turned out that it was impossible to predict whether someone would be satisfied with their career development from their work history. For example, among the interviewees, Chris, who worked as a caretaker, and Desmond, who became a free poet, were both satisfied with their career choices; But Alison, a veteran nurse, and Stephen, a journalist, are not satisfied, despite their attractive and challenging jobs. If you ask the few people who are proud of their legitimate careers, "Why do you think your current career is successful?" Most people will answer, "Because I'm doing what I really want to do." Donn (a safety equipment salesman) explains this very well: "My parents would have liked me to get into a more stable industry – like banking, but I naturally like to be in touch with people, to be in status, to travel, to be challenged. Stress and novelty can keep me in high spirits; The monotonous and repetitive work left me tired, degraded, fattened and depressed. So after graduating from university, I decided to pursue a role that was constantly moving, impressive, stressful, social and international. I felt that sales should be the best environment for me, and that marketing defense equipment would meet the prestige, compensation, and travel opportunities I wanted. Frankly, I was a practitioner and wanted the highest position, so I joined a part-time job in college, the 'Defense Force', and studied sales skills, and at the same time, I tried to make my personality more gentle, more acceptable, and easy to get along with, and then I started looking around, and finally found a foothold in the defense industry. "Donn's example is admirable. Let's take a closer look at the way he arranged for himself. First, he manages to find out his motivations, and then he goes to find a special environment that suits him; He then uses all his cunning and resourcefulness to find a way into his chosen work environment. Donn's clarity of mind and perseverance are impressive, and he has to face the difficulty of disobeying his parents' decisions in the first place. Today, he is in charge of many preservation contracts in a large company and finds it "very satisfied"; But he also said: "I may want to look for new challenges in the future." Donn's experience is nothing less than an interpretation of the so-called "success", that is, what he is looking for is a job that can use his talents, can give himself stimulation and reward. People like Don rely on their own decisions to find opportunities, and they "leave the shelf" to seek their goals. In the terminology of this book, such a person is a person who "controls" his own destiny.

What about those who think their current careers are "not going well"? Judging from their visit records, it is full of complaints! They feel that they are victims of hostile circumstances, that their wishes and needs are not being met, and that they are unable to make their wishes come true. The gap between their expectations and needs, and what they can actually accomplish, becomes a source of frustration, which in turn turns into disillusionment and ridicule.

(2) Affirm yourself and go all out

Stories of career failures prove the need for a solid foundation of potential. In Anthony Robin's survey, Michelle was the happiest businessman, a 21-year-old female employee who lives with her parents in South London. She originally hoped to become an actress, but she never entered this career. Her room was filled with pictorial posters discussing theater and theater; The walls are plastered with posters representing Hollywood's great legends; For reading articles about the lives of celebrities, the degree of enthusiasm is not a problem. "I hated office work, but I didn't have a choice," she says. I was a failure, and I felt completely frustrated! Michelle's parents and friends only see her ambitions as crazy, impossible fantasies. As a result, her paperwork became a container for her to pour all kinds of grievances into her life. Perhaps, she wondered, she was happy to be a loser and find the wrong satisfaction in achieving nothing. What is significant in this example is that Michelle admits that her career has "failed", and she has not been:

1. Find out what you really want and need.

2. Discover your true strengths, weaknesses, and weaknesses.

3. Develop her strengths systematically.

4. Work on overcoming weaknesses.

5. Use strategy to find opportunities.

6. Pursue success wholeheartedly.

7. Reconcile hope with reality.

8. Completely trust your own abilities.

The data from this survey strongly suggests that those who rank their careers as mediocre or unsuccessful are the ones who have long since put the reasons for success out of their control. The conclusion is clear: these people feel that they are victims of their environment. This "victim" mentality is the most common factor in relationships that are not satisfied with their careers.

The way people define themselves (we call it "self-view") is very important in interpreting "success" and "failure" from an individual perspective. Of course, it is very subjective for people to define themselves, and various attitudes vary greatly; Some people feel that they are fundamentally positive and confident, while others are completely incapable of valuing themselves. The "self-view" has a profound impact on all aspects of professional behavior, and it can even affect physical health and social relationships. Most of the respondents do not seem to be aware of the nature of their self-view, but think that their values and views are completely objective. The most important factor in this relationship is "decision", think about it, which of the good times or bad times you face in life is not related to decisions? Anthony Robin pointed out that the moment you make a decision, your life is predestined, and the decisions you make now and every day will determine your life in the 21st century.

Have you ever experienced setbacks, disappointments, or helplessness in the past? Most people have had it at one time or another, and if you have, how did you deal with it? Are you holding back because of this, or are you going more courageously? What impact does the decision you made today have today? 2. It is not the environment that creates man, but man who creates the environment

Anthony Robin is convinced that the key to determining our lives is not the circumstances we face, but the way we decide to face them. We've all heard the stories of great men who, despite the adversity they faced, persevered in their decisions and moved forward, only to blossom into a struggling life, and whose hard work became an inspiring example for future generations to follow.

If we have the heart, we can all be one of them, but how do we do it? Quite simply, make up your mind today about what kind of person you want to be in the next decade or more. It doesn't matter if you don't plan to make such a decision, in fact you have already made a decision to be willing to surrender your life to circumstances and let it dominate. The change in your whole life is the decision of that day, if you make up your mind not to live in a mess, but to be the master of your own life, to get the future you want. The decision you made that day may seem simple, but it is one of the most important decisions of your life. When you make a decision, don't think of it as child's play, but do your best to achieve it, and decide what kind of person you want to become. You have to set higher standards for yourself and what you expect from yourself, and you have to use tenacity and perseverance to achieve such standards, otherwise you will never get the life you want.

Unfortunately, most people never do this, but just make excuses for themselves, either because of their poor family background, no background, or because they lack education, have no opportunities, and even blame themselves for being too old or too young.

These excuses are not really reasons, they only limit the development of one's potential, and even ruin one's life.

Making decisive decisions can help you stop making excuses for yourself and allow yourself to change completely in a short period of time, whether it's family, career, mindset, health, income or even relationships. We can say that "decision" is the driving force for all change, and it can change a person, a family, a country, and the world. Some people often complain about their work, and when asked why they go to work, their answer is almost always the same: "I can't stop working." "Are these people really so helpless? In fact, they don't have to go to work every day, they don't have to do the same thing for ten years, as long as they dare to make a decision today, they want to live a new life from now on, and they don't have to do it like before. In the same way, you can make a new decision at this time, and if you really want to do it, then nothing can stump you. If you don't like your current job, swap it out; If you don't like your current personality, change it; If you don't like your current fitness situation, exercise it. If you're not happy with anything about yourself, you can change it, but you have to make a decision before your life can change.

(3) Decisions can be life-changing

When you make a new, serious, and unwavering decision, your life changes in that moment. Who would have thought that Mahatma Gandhi, a gentle and humble lawyer by profession who advocated peace, would be able to lead the Indian people out of Anglo-Chinese rule with his decision and courage, and as a result, he would also trigger a series of independence in other colonies, and the whole balance of power in the world would be changed. In the same way, it was because of his strong decision that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was able to speak eloquently about the inhumane treatment of black Americans and sparked the civil rights movement in the United States and attracted global attention. The "decision" was the main reason for the rise and fall of real estate mogul Donald Trump, and the driving force behind the inclusion of home run baseball star Babe Ruth in the baseball celebrity. Decisions can solve problems, decisions can bring endless opportunities and joy, it is a magical power that can turn dreams into reality, and it is a catalyst for the transformation of the invisible into a tangible process.

When you understand the true meaning of the decision, you will know that such power and ability have long been hidden in you, and it is not the exclusive product of a few people who have wealth, power and background, but belongs to all people, regardless of whether they are high-ranking officials or peddlers and pawns. You can draw on this power when you have the book in your hand, as long as you dare to be assertive. Would you like to make a decision about your future today? A heartfelt decision? Let us recall a very admirable young lady whose name is Rosa Pikes. One day, she boarded a bus in Montgomery and justifiably refused to give up her seat to a white man, as required by the state's law. Her disobedience caused an uproar and drew strong criticism from whites, but it also served as a model for other blacks to follow, and the result was the civil rights movement that followed, awakening the conscience of the American people and redefining laws for equality, opportunity, and justice regardless of race, creed, or gender.

Rosa Pikes refused to step aside, but did she ever wonder what the consequences would be? Does she have any clever plans to change the existing social structure? Who would have thought that this weak woman's decision would have such a profound impact on future generations? After listening to the above story, you may say, "I wish I could have made that decision, but my fate is so miserable, what can I do?" "If you're so self-pitying, then listen to Ed Roberts' example. Ed is an "ordinary" man, who was paralyzed from the head down by polio at the age of 14 and had to rely on a wheelchair to get around, but he has achieved something "extraordinary" because of this. He uses a breathing apparatus and is able to lead a normal life during the day, but at night he relies on an "iron lung".

He almost died several times after his illness, but he never grieved for his misfortune and hoped that one day he would help the same patients.

Do you know how he does it? He decided to educate the public not to think that people with physical disabilities are useless, but to take into account the inconveniences of their lives. In the past decade or so, he has finally taken note of the rights of people with disabilities, and now there are wheelchair accessible ramps in public facilities in the United States, parking spaces for people with disabilities, and handrails to help people with disabilities move. Ed Roberts was the first graduating student from UC Berkeley with paralysis from the neck down, and later served as director of the California State Government's Department of Rehabilitation and the first person with a severe disability to hold public office. The story of Ed Roberts is an excellent example of how physical inconvenience does not limit a person's development, what matters is whether he decides to end it. All his actions are just a simple but powerful decision, if it were you, what decision would you want to make for your life? There are a lot of people who might say, "Okay, I'm willing to make a decision for the future, but I don't know how?" "Just because you are afraid that you don't know how to make a decision, you often lose the opportunity to realize your dreams, and as a result, your life is dull and silent. Remember, it doesn't matter if you don't know how to make a decision, it's important that you are determined to find a solution, whatever it may be.