MOTIVATION - What Determines Your Destiny

MOTIVATION – What Determines Your Destiny


By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting CC – February 2012


“It’s choice – not chance that determines your destiny” says Jean Nidetch.

It seems that I am on the warpath again! It’s the whole thing about accountability and responsibility for the consequences of our choices and actions or non-actions.

There is this whole drive around education at the moment and like most people that I talk to – I get it! I agree with it and quite frankly, I am on board. Education is important and without it the youngsters of today are really going to battle.

At the moment though, there is this radio ad playing and despite all the good intentions, it gives the perception that the kid wasn’t ‘given a chance to get an education”.

To be fair, I haven’t heard the whole advert, but the bit that I have heard and that I keep hearing, got my blood boiling.

This kid is talking about how he went to a good school, but cut classes and started gambling and drinking when he should have been at school. He tells how he didn’t listen to the teachers and educators and therefore ‘didn’t have a chance to complete his education”. And yes, I have quoted it correctly. I have heard that bit of the ad several times over and that is exactly what he said.

What does he mean he “didn’t have a chance to complete his education”? If he went to such a good school, of course he had every “chance” that his affluent parents could give him. It was his “choice” not to complete his education.

He was unable to complete his education because of the bad choices that he made. He chose to go drinking and gambling and he should take responsibility for those choices. He doesn’t though and that’s just not the message that we should be sending out. What’s with that?

Again, I understand that the “intention” is great. It highlights the importance of getting a good education – but for me it falls very short on accepting responsibility and accountability for our actions and that is not a good thing.

It is very important for us to understand that our choices – good or bad – all carry consequences and that those consequences will affect our lives for the rest of our time on this planet, whether we actually accept them and own up to them or not.

This chap who “did not have a chance to finish his education” because of his choice (and clearly according to the ad), does not choose to complete his education now, (well that is now the perception that I have). The message sounds like he will therefore never have an opportunity to fulfill his potential or live his dream and the consequence of that is that we (as taxpayers) will continue to support him in one way or another.

Sadly, that is how this ad has been portrayed – well to me anyway.

More sadly still is that it is not portrayed in any way, that by making another choice now, a more positive choice, like going back to school or taking classes, he can correct his past and look forward to a brighter future.

You see, the fact of the matter is that we are not limited to only one choice and we certainly don’t only have one chance!

We can have as many choices as we have thoughts, but it is up to us to make the right choice and then action it.

Through my choices, I make my own chances!

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za