You never know a moment’s importance as it is happening. There is no announcement. No pause. No indicator that something monumental is about to go down. Most high school decisions happen silently in a matter of seconds and, at most, without really thinking at all. Whether it is walking away or standing up, trying or doing nothing at all, the choice vanishes quickly, but the effects linger.
From an outsider’s perspective, decisions can appear trivial. For others, it might look like someone has simply picked out an elective or volunteered for the debate team or said something that popped into his or her head at that specific time. It may not be obvious that behind every one of those choices lies a moment of doubt, internal panic and a back-and-forth between whether or not it was the right call to make.
For most high schoolers, decisions are more than just a choice. They are under pressure. Pressure to choose the right option, avoid failure, and not be left in the dust. This pressure can force even minor decisions into making more of an impact than they really do and can make students over-think or wait until the “right” moment comes, which will never truly arrive.
However, life does not wait. People grow and move and change. Even the act of not making a decision contributes to what is happening around us as the seconds continue to tick by. Remaining silent and waiting to see what develops, standing still and choosing the safe option, or even going out and not making the right decision at all still contributes to the action around us.
On the other hand, not every choice is going to be the right decision. Some of the best choices we are able to make come without being 100% positive that it will be the correct outcome. They come from impulse, curiosity, or the feeling that no matter what we do it is going to be ok in the end. These decisions are growth in its purest form not because they lead to success, but because they allow you to take action.
High school is often the first point in a young adult’s life that they feel that their choices are their own and influenced by anyone else. The choices do not always come easy and although at times not always successful the decisions in a young adult’s life still hold so much power.
At the end of the day, the power of a decision is not always apparent, but you should not shy away from failure and learn from your mistakes.
