Written by Alan Ng
Edited by Jenkin Au
Photography by Alan Ng

Many people think that the choices in their lives are limited. It’s almost as if their view of their positions in their lives are destined, or they are constrained by fate. Even though one event leads to another, these assumptions can often hold someone’s goals back or alternatively, it can be used as fuel to power their dreams. Even though life is full of uncontrollable factors, one thing that no one can lose is the power of choice. If you were brought up in a less fortunate situation, there are ways or paths you can take to get to where you want to go. One might need to go through more obstacles, or the time required to get to the destination might take a longer time, but someone’s passion on their target is strong. Nothing is impossible. For those who are more fortunate, it’s not given that they will be successful in whatever they do. The only thing we know is that they have a head start, and if they fall, they fall harder. The choice to be able to do or be whatever we want to be is a powerful one, and whether you start from the roots or from the top, your choices in life determines your final destination.

All the choices you make in life, not only alters and affects everything around you, it echoes and is experienced by others. Whether your decision is big or small, it’s important to understand that one event leads to another. As much as people believe that everything happens for a reason, certain choices will lead one’s life into two ways – success or failure. People often fear choice and can never decide what they want to do, and then they draw upon external factors. When people are always under the influence of others, they will never be able to become what they were set fourth for. Choices are yours, whether it’s good or bad, it’s up to you to make the move. When you are lost, other’s opinion is an option, but remember, it was yourself that have asked for these suggestions, so it was yourself that opened up these other choices.

What about choices of other people? The application of convincing or manipulation often leads one to able to affect choices of other people, and then you change events. When you give people ideas or suggestions, you make an effect. Whether that person takes it or not, you open up pathways for them. For those that open up choices for people, it’s important to understand that you hold responsibility on where they end up, because at the end of the day, it was you that have created that choice for them. Many people think that they can change other people’s lives, but how much can you really change one’s life? Or are you changing that person to act accordingly to your life? There’s only so many choices or control you have upon someone else’s life, so if you are not confident that your choice is the right one, then maybe you should just shut your mouth and watch the person choose what they want to do whether it’s the road to greatness or the river washing down to nowhere.