We all want good things in life. Success, peace, meaningful relationships, financial stability and the opportunity to become everything God created us to be. As humans, we want more, and there is nothing wrong with wanting more.
But many times, we are the very people standing between ourselves and the things we desire.
The problem is not always a lack of opportunity. Sometimes, the problem is that we think too much and act too little.
We analyse every possibility. Consider every outcome. Imagine what could go wrong. Worry about making the wrong decision. We wait for the perfect opportunity, the perfect plan and the perfect level of certainty.
Meanwhile, life keeps moving.
This is where the philosophical thought experiment known as Buridan’s ass gives us an interesting lesson.
Imagine a perfectly rational donkey standing exactly halfway between two identical bales of hay.
Both bales are the same size, equally attractive and are the same distance away. Neither offers the donkey any obvious advantage over the other.
The donkey is hungry, but it cannot find a rational reason to choose one bale over the other.
So it waits. It looks at the bale on the left. Then it looks at the bale on the right.
It goes back to the left. Then back to the right. Because neither option appears better, the donkey refuses to choose.
In the famous thought experiment, the donkey eventually dies of starvation because it cannot make a decision.
The lesson is not really about a donkey. It is about the danger of indecision.
Sometimes, there is no perfect choice, and there are times when two options are equally reasonable. We will never have enough information to know exactly what will happen.
At such moments, we have to choose because refusing to make a decision is also a decision, and sometimes, it is the costliest decision we can make.
When Thinking Becomes a Trap
Thinking is a gift. God gave us the ability to reason, examine situations, consider consequences and make wise decisions. We should not rush blindly into important matters.
But there is a difference between thoughtful consideration and endless overthinking.
Thoughtful consideration helps us move forward. Overthinking keeps us standing in the same place.
There comes a point when additional analysis no longer gives us wisdom. Instead, it gives us fear.
We start with a simple question: “Should I do this?” Then another question appears.
“But what if it fails?” Then another: “What if something better comes along?”
Then: “What if I make the wrong choice?”
Soon, the original opportunity has disappeared while we remain trapped inside a maze of possibilities.
Many people have lost opportunities this way. Someone wants to start a business but keeps waiting for the perfect capital.
Someone wants to write a book but keeps telling himself that he needs to learn more first. One wants to apply for a job but convinces himself that other candidates are probably better qualified.
The problem is that perfection rarely announces its arrival. Sometimes, you have to begin with what you have.
The Prison of “What If?”
One of the most powerful words in the language of overthinking is “if.”
What if I fail or lose money? These questions can be useful when they help us prepare responsibly.
But they become dangerous when they prevent us from taking any action at all. Another word can quietly destroy our progress: “but.”
I would start, but I do not have enough money. Notice what happens. The dream remains alive in our minds, but we never allow it to become reality.
We keep building arguments against ourselves. Eventually, we become experts at explaining why we cannot move.
But life does not reward explanations. Life rewards action.
The person who takes one imperfect step today may be much further tomorrow than the person who spends a year planning the perfect first step.
You Do Not Need Absolute Certainty
One of the greatest misconceptions about progress is that we must know exactly where we are going before we begin.
We do not. A person does not need to see the entire staircase before climbing the first step. The traveller does not need to see every mile of the road before beginning a journey.
And faith does not require us to know everything God is doing before we trust Him. The Bible says, “We walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).
That verse challenges our desire for complete certainty. Faith means that sometimes we move forward without having every answer.
Abraham did not know every detail of the journey when God called him to leave his country.
He simply obeyed.
There are moments when God gives us enough light for the next step, but not enough light to illuminate the entire road.
We may want a complete map. God may give us a direction.
This does not mean that we should make reckless decisions. Wisdom still matters. Counsel matters. Prayer matters. Preparation matters.
But after we have prayed, considered the facts, sought wise counsel and examined our options, there comes a moment when we must stop analysing and start moving.
Do Not Die Between Two Bales of Hay
The saddest part of the Buridan’s ass story is not that the donkey had two choices. It is that it had access to what it needed but could not choose.
Many people live like that. They have ideas but never act on them. Do not allow that to become your story.
You will make mistakes and will sometimes discover that the road you selected was not the road you expected.
But that is part of being human. You can learn and readjust. The goal is to keep moving toward the person God created you to become.
Choose and Move
Perhaps today you are standing between two bales of hay.
You are waiting for certainty or for perfect conditions, but life may never give you that guarantee.
At some point, you must choose. Pray, think, seek wisdom, count the cost, listen to God.
Then move. Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
Notice that Scripture does not tell us to understand everything before trusting God.
It tells us to trust Him.
There will be moments when you cannot see the whole picture. Situations when both options look equally attractive and times when you wish God would give you a detailed explanation of what comes next.
But perhaps He is inviting you to trust Him with the next step.
Do not allow endless analysis to steal the life that action could build.
Do not spend so much time wondering whether you are choosing the perfect path that you never walk any path at all.
You may not know exactly where your decision will take you, but you can trust that God is able to redirect you when necessary.
You can start small. The donkey had two bales of hay and died because it could not choose.
You have one life. Do not waste it standing between possibilities. Sometimes, the breakthrough you have been praying for is waiting on the other side of a decision you have been postponing.
