The German author Michael Ende, renowned for Momo, poses the following question: "When you stand at a crossroads in your life and you pick up the right book at the right moment, open it to the right page, and find the right answer—would you call that a mere coincidence?"
We make countless choices throughout our lives. If we include tiny decisions like what to eat for lunch, the number becomes impossible to calculate. But the choice I want to discuss is embedded in Ende's question: the courageous choices made at life's turning points that reshape our entire future.
There are a few simple truths when it comes to choice. First, no choice is free. Every decision requires giving something up. Only you know what that sacrifice is or how heavy it might be. Achievement often arrives hand-in-hand with regret. Therefore, you must decide whether to choose the path that minimizes regret or simply refuse to spend time regretting at all. Time spent on regret is the most wasted of all. It is far better to invest that time in reflection and introspection.
Even if you seek help from those around you, their guidance only goes so far. No one else can define your path. You must deliberate alone, think alone, and decide alone to truly grow.
Opportunity inevitably finds its way to you. However, the difference between those who seize it and those who don't lies in their preparation. Don't be too hasty; instead, be consistent over the long haul. Only then can you make the right choice when an opportunity demanding a quick answer finally arrives.
Of course, a choice can be wrong. But we need to shift our perspective: even if a choice seems mistaken at first, you must work to make it the right one when you look back later. This isn't about self-justification. It's about ensuring that, when viewed objectively, anyone would agree that your decision was the best one possible at the time. When you feel it's too late, it often really is—so if you find yourself facing such a choice, you must pivot immediately.
If discarding other options requires too high a price, you should re-evaluate if your path is truly correct. But if you believe a choice is better in the long run despite a heavy immediate cost, you must have the conviction to push forward. In return, you must shoulder the immense responsibility that follows. Never attempt to evade it.
Our lives are a continuous string of choices, and each small decision builds who we are and the life we lead. I believe that when I finally reach the life I desire, I will be able to look back and know that I lived well, through better choices and the responsibility I took for them.
They say we learn through two things: books and people. I'd like to add a sentence to Ende's question: if you find just the right person and hear just the right answer at just the right moment—would you call that a mere coincidence?
For those who are prepared, this coincidence will manifest as opportunity, and they will be ready to seize it.