Of the many wrongs and rights of this world where in the larger scheme of existence right and wrong is just perception, one is compelled to question what making a choice really means.
Every second of our lives we are making choices, yet are we making these choices consciously. Whether it is acquiring a thing, spending time, exerting energy on, influencing someone, or choosing to look the other way… these are all choices.
Choices also serve as reminders that you can always do better. The vote you cast or did not, the bribe you paid, the easy way out, the case you didn’t report, the circumstance you submitted to, the time you could have said ‘no’, the situation where you could have made a difference… but did not.
Having a choice is a powerful thing. It is that one moment that separates us from the ‘has been’ to the ‘never will be’.
A country in transition for too long, we have finally put economics at the centre of our national agenda which means that every choice we make today will leave its mark on the future of generations to come. Will one Investment Summit or one Visit Nepal campaign give us the answers. Probably not. But what it will do is to stimulate thinking, dialogue and cooperation. It will demand that we take stock of where we stand and take ownership of where we want to be.
And while we are at it, its time also to think on larger capacity about the impact we have on the world. The Himalayan Consensus Summit recently held in the capital is a step in that direction shining the light on circular economy. With the theme of shared future with people, innovation and cooperation as its centric theme, the panels discussed why advancing the circular economy was critical. With global population reaching 9 billion people by 2050, it is time we think of smarter and better ways to use and reuse the planets resources: energy, food, water and raw materials. And why should I bother with this? Because I have learned that everything is a choice. I choose who to be, how to think, how to relate, what I want, what to give up, how I see myself, how I see others, and ultimately how I choose to respond. All my choices and my non choices has an impact on everything around me, on the people, on the nation, and the planet.
