You probably know that our lives are a series of stories joined together in time. Your life tells stories that are unique to you. Your biography and my biography will not be the same. That is because you are unique, and I am also different. Each person’s journey is different no matter what. Meanwhile, as unique as each person's journey is, some people will be remembered for a long time while memories about others will quickly disappear. Think about it this way. Some people in this world have left memories in the hearts of others that can hardly be forgotten. However, the majority simply pass though the world without any trace of impact or anything to remember about them after they are gone.
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In my book Pursuit of Personal Leadership, I elaborated that we all can deliberately introduce what will become our legacies into our everyday lives. I provided many examples that we can learn from. Using our lives to write an unforgettable story is quite simple. If there is anything you would like to be remembered for, just go ahead and work toward making it happen. One way not to be forgotten is to do something that is not focused on self and has values that last longer. I may not know what that means for you, but I know that each one of us can make lasting impacts. Just think about the stories of those who have spent their entire lives serving humanity. Your story may not be as spectacular as that of Mother Teresa, but you can surely support a cause, contribute to a legacy, serve others, or establish a new thing that will outlast you.

Those who live self-centered lives are quickly forgotten. Those who touch the lives of others are remembered because they write stories in the hearts of others. Nevertheless, our stories should be remembered for good and not for evil. When you write your story, write the one that brings happiness, goodwill, and good news to others. If you will not be quickly forgotten, then write a story that lasts. Leave a legacy. 

Certain decisions are not easy to make. Choosing between eating a hamburger or a bowl of pasta for dinner may not have any serious consequence. You can toss a coin to decide which one you will eat. However, we tend to find it challenging when we are faced with various options for deciding on a matter that has either a long-term impact or can cause a big change within a short time. In most cases, we end up with those epoch-making two options. It is either we go left or right, or we decide on black or white. It is usual for us to get torn between two significant options, whose consequences would not be clearly known until we decide. We often find ourselves in a dilemma. That is when we blow hot and cold; when we dilly-dally, hesitate, and become indecisive.

Meanwhile, our indecision does not solve a problem. Whether we know the consequence of our decisions up-front or not, we still need to keep moving. One thing I discovered a long time ago is that most people find decision-making daunting because they have not predetermined what they would decide before the situation arises. The way to learn to make decisions is to make decisions often. It is okay to make mistakes, especially when the gravity of the decision is not significant. We should not be afraid of making decisions. Decision-making can become an art, where the act of practicing helps us to hone our skills. Those who blow hot and cold do not learn anything. They will always doubt their own decisions. When we make mistakes, we learn and grow, and then develop principles that help us decide better next time.
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As simple as it sounds, you would agree that making sound decisions may not be so simple. Yet, our lives are made up of a series of decisions. We are products decisions, whether made by us or not. The decisions we make and those made by others affect us. Therefore, we need to master the art of making decisions. Let’s get in the habit of being decisive. Stop oscillating like a pendulum. Why blow hot and cold?

One of my goals this year is to improve in key areas of leadership. As a reminder, leadership is not about bossing people around or calling the shot so others can be controlled or using authority over people. Leadership is stewardship. Leadership is taking responsibility for what is entrusted to you. Your leadership starts with you discovering and developing your own gifts, talents, and abilities, and then taking responsibility for developing and shaping them to serve in every capacity possible. Your leadership then transcends from you to inspiring others to discover themselves too. A real leader is in front of others to show the way, behind them to provide support and beside them to work alongside.

As we embark on a new journey this year, each one of us must ask ourselves how we are doing with whatsoever is entrusted to us. Do you have people entrusted to you; those who work with you, report to you or depend on you? How are you doing with them? Do they trust you to lead them or you are just using authority and power over them? As a leader, you are accountable for the resources entrusted to you, and that includes people. Leading people is like having access to a gold mine. Everyone is endowed with specific gifts and talents. Whenever you have people around you, you are surrounded by a wealth of unlimited ability and capability. Helping those for whom you are responsible to bring the best out of themselves. That is leadership.
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More importantly, those who would lead others must learn to lead themselves first. You and I have our own naturally endowed gifts and talents, whether we have discovered them or not. It is our responsibility to discover, develop and master them so we can function optimally. As leaders, we are responsible for our own contributions, conduct, disposition, and relationships. Make this year a profitable year by becoming a trustworthy steward of whatsoever is entrusted to you. I will also strive to do the same.