Acharya Prashant begins by stating that the session belongs to the audience and he will respond to what they say. He emphasizes that participation must be equal from both sides, even if he does most of the talking. He encourages the audience to discuss any important issue in life, as there are no right or wrong topics. Responding to a question about the process of decision-making, Acharya Prashant explains that all decisions originate from a certain state of mind. To understand decision-making, one must explore the entire process. We internally stand at a certain point, let's call it 'point A', and because we are not alright with it, we feel the need to move to some other point. If we were perfectly okay where we are, there would be no need for movement. Life is a continuous movement because we are never fully satisfied with our current state. Point A, our current position, never provides complete satisfaction. The fundamental question in decision-making is which other point to move to and what route to take. However, we usually focus only on the available optionsâpoints B, C, D, and so onâand get occupied with deliberating which one is better. What is missing in this thought process is an understanding of the starting point, point A. The mind is busy with future possibilities and other places, but it avoids introspecting on the current reality. It prefers dealing in colorful imaginations rather than observing what is actually happening. The first step in decision-making, therefore, is to ask, "Why do I need to make a decision?" and "What is wrong with my current situation?" This is a question we often fail to ask. The only criterion for making a decision should be one's own inner welfare. Self-awareness, or self-knowledge, is the key. Without knowing our current problem, any solution we seek is based on ignorance. The mind, being a black box to us, remains unknown. We must first understand our current situation and the nature of our dissatisfaction before choosing a path. Otherwise, we will keep moving from one point of dissatisfaction to another, leading to a wasted life.
