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If you build it, they will come. What if you decide? Will they come, too?

If you build it, they will come. What if you decide? Will they come, too?
This entry is part 20 of 24 in the series Decide

Decide and they will come.

“People will come, Ray. People will most definitely come.”

James Earl Jones, who could pretty much say anything and I would believe it, explains how it’s all going to work:

People will come, Ray. People will most definitely come.
James Earl Jones as Terence Mann (from Field of Dreams)

Math. I have to go back to math.

If my 14-year-old son ever reads this, he’ll cringe at the thought of my bringing up math yet again in my work.

Maybe if he reads a little later, like when he’s 34, he’ll understand that math can be the great explainer.

Zero.

It doesn’t really exist. It’s nothing. It’s not yet something.

The quote above is from the film Field of Dreams and the main character is debating creating a baseball field in the middle of a cornfield in Iowa.

One.

One exists. It’s a real number. It’s just one more than zero, but remember, zero doesn’t exist.

If he doesn’t build the baseball diamond, by definition, no one will come, no one will visit it because it doesn’t exist.

If he does build it at least there’s a chance people will come.

Now Terence Mann seems pretty convinced people will come. But then again, they’re talking about baseball and cornfields and Iowa.

In this book, we’re talking about your decisions, your plans, your dreams, your life.

If you decide, will they come?

In case that little math above didn’t put you on the edge of your seat just begging for more numbers, here’s the statistical probability of something happening if you do not decide:

Zero.

We’re back to zero. Zero chance, zero nothing, zero nada.

If you decide, will they come?

There’s no guarantee, but now there’s a chance.

Here’s how I see it. If you decide, they will be swayed.

They will respect your decision (whether they admit it openly or not for whatever reasons).

If you stick with your decision, at some point, they have to respect that you made the decision and stuck with it.

If you succeed in making the decision and then sticking with the decision and then following through and succeeding (however success might be interpreted), in my humble opinion, people will respect that.

Am I just seeking respect?

Yes.

But not from others. I care less about what they think—although I do care.

No, I’m seeking self-respect.

When I make the decision and keep it and follow through and make it happen, I have self-respect.

No one can take that from me. Ever. It’s mine and I’m not giving it up. It’s tight in my fist and no one, no one can rip it out of my fingers.

It’s mine.

It’s yours.

Keep it.

Decide.

Series Navigation<< I can’t, uh, decide! Which cover for the “Decide” book!?My idea of a good time >>

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