Waiting for a sign? – Here it is!

Everybody is always waiting for a sign. I just hate this mentality. Can we not make decisions on our own? Do we always need to get confirmation, to spur us into action? What signs are we waiting for? Must horrible things happen to us first? Are we looking for positive signs? And what are they?

An advocate friend of mine asked me if I think it is a good idea to go and work in the US. To put you into the picture, he asked me this after spending a year in the US to do a conversion on his studies to allow him to act as an attorney. This year came at a great expense. He sold his house in Johannesburg and his wife and two kids stayed on in the granny flat. He used the proceeds of the house to finance his stay in a crappy flat close to the university. He just returned to SA and was informed that he is one of only two students that passed their exams. Then the question – should I go back? Now after all his commitment, effort and giving up equity, to follow his dreams, he was still hesitant. He was offered a very good position at a big law firm in Johannesburg, and believe it or not, he took it. Two years later I got another call. He has just won the Green Card Lottery in the US which means that he can apply for Green Card status. His question? Well you should have guessed – “Do you think I should consider moving to the US?” I tried my best to remain calm when answering him. “Johan, how many signs do you really need to make a final decision?” I am glad to report back that Johan and his family have settled in the US and have a wonderful life with abundant opportunities.

When you decide to do something – do you also look for signs? Is it not possible to gain enough information via the Internet to make a sound decision? What else do you need? A kick in the butt perhaps?