Welcome to Sharudin Jamal Blogspot

More than two decades ago, I was diagnosed of having a peculiar illness known as Bipolar Affective Disorder. My world as I knew it crumbled; I lost my business, then my job and later my sense of purpose. It was during this dark moments I rediscovered the joy of running and writing. Most of the articles here are about my rekindled pleasure of hitting the tarmac, my coming to terms with the illness and my discovery of the meaning of life.

I always on the lookout for inspirations to write in these three areas with the hope that they will shed new ray of hope to others who are in the same position as I am.

Do keep in touch if you feel connected through these essays.

Monday, July 25, 2016

The Power of Choice

We have within us a slumbering power.  Power, that if awakens will amaze even the mildest among us.  That is the power of choice.  Actually without realizing, we exercise this power every day.  In some countries, this is known as the Dollar Vote.  Every time we spend our money, we decide which vendors deserve to serve us and which don't.  This is the basis of the freedom of choice.

On an esoteric level, the freedom of choice depicts our freedom to think and then make a choice.  This includes the freedom of speech and the freedom of expression.  Freedom of speech is just an ideology, but a powerful one indeed.  Without freedom of speech, we will not have the freedom of expression.  These two establish the pillars of human freedom in most developed countries.  We, in Malaysia are seeing more of these privileges emerging in many areas particularly in religion and politics.

The power of choice is the power to think and act.  It comes in many forms.  But the simplest manifestation is what is known as the Personal Power.  This expression of power can be attained through personal mastery.  We have to know how to set our goals in life and have a method to attain them.  Personal mastery takes a life long journey of self-knowledge and self-acceptance.

Often the word "Power to the People," is used to express the thinking of the masses.  This, however, is expressed by the once every four years general election.  While it is crucial we vote to elect our representatives, that should not hinder us from doing good and forbidding evil on a personal capacity.  The burden of responsibility is solely on the shoulders of individuals.  Power by representation is subject to manipulation.  At the very least we should be responsible for our own lives.

Nobody is responsible for our actions except for ourselves.  The Power of Choice, therefore, is very much a personal choice as much as it is a collective choice.  In the final judgement, just like the Dollar Vote, our choice, in the end, determines our direction.  Choose well and live well.



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