Choose One, Open Many
Temiloluwa Adedeji
Communication Designer | Amplifying Reach through Visuals at IITA |
Today at a Glance
Once, in a small village in China, there lived a farmer who had one horse.
One day, this horse ran away, and the villagers offered their condolences for his loss.
"Well, that’s too bad," they said, with shared looks of sympathy.
The farmer simply replied, "Maybe."
Shortly after, the horse returned, bringing another horse with it.
This time, the neighbors were thrilled and congratulated him on his good fortune. "This is great," they said.
The farmer replied as he always did: "Maybe."
The next day, while trying to tame the new horse, the farmer’s son fell and broke his leg. Again, the neighbors offered their condolences.
“That’s too bad,” they murmured, seeing the injury as a burden. But the farmer replied, “Maybe.”
Shortly after, war broke out, and the emperor ordered all able-bodied young men to fight.
The farmer’s son, now unable to join due to his injury, was spared. “What good fortune!” the neighbors exclaimed.
Yet the farmer remained unfazed: “Maybe,” he replied.
While this story captures an essential truth about life’s twists and turns, it also points to decision-making.
We often get trapped in binary thinking: if one door opens, another must close forever.
But like the farmer, we don’t always see the bigger picture until we’ve lived through it.
The illusion of perfect choices
The farmer’s story reminds us that a single decision or situation isn’t the end; it’s the beginning of a new path, filled with opportunities we can’t always see in advance.
Many people worry about “missing out” on other options when they make a choice, but that worry keeps them stuck.
Meanwhile, choosing regardless is how we move.
As Seneca observed, "We suffer more in imagination than in reality."
This emphasizes that our fears about what might go wrong often hold us back more than the reality of choosing ever could.
The very action of choosing sets things in motion that weren’t possible before.
We may see obstacles or doubts ahead, but when we move forward anyway, we see more doors opening along the way.
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The reality is that you can’t predict every twist, but you can choose to start.
Overthinking each option doesn’t bring you closer to the outcome you want.
Instead, trust that by acting on one path, you’ll open new doors, even if it takes time or unexpected turns.
“What if I’m taking it too slow?”
Many people feel pressure to make quick, flashy decisions, fearing they’ll fall behind.
I'll say focus on being consistent rather than being fast.
The popular story of the Tortoise and the Hare shows that slow, steady progress can be powerful.
The hare’s speed caused him to lose focus, while the tortoise, moving deliberately, stayed on track and ultimately won.
Sometimes the slow path is exactly what’s needed.
We often overestimate what we can do in a year and overestimate what we can do in 5 years.
Rushing to avoid feeling “behind” usually results in scattered actions that don’t add up.
Slow, consistent steps may not feel glamorous, but they’re more likely to lead to lasting growth and results.
Choosing One
So, how do you put this into practice?
Start by choosing one direction, even if it feels uncertain.
See it as the beginning, not the final answer.
Death is the final answer and as long as you are alive, you can always move forward, and adjust as you go.
In fact, let the journey surprise you. The outcomes and options you unlock along the way may be more rewarding than any initial decision alone.
Remember, you’ve got this.
Till next time,
Salud.
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Last week, I wrote about Why Society’s Obsession with “Success” is Misleading, a piece about Why society’s success standards don’t fit everyone with ways to uncover your vision of success.