Moment of Decision

Edward awoke one Thursday morning to the sound of children screaming outside of his room. They were saying something about a boat, and a new world, and...he couldn't understand all that they were saying! He had to go find out!
After he managed to drag himself out of bed, he discovered that there was a ship in the port getting ready to sail from Portsmouth, England to somewhere that the people called the New World. This information caused Edward many sudden emotions. On one hand, this sounded like an incredible opportunity! He could explore new places, have limitless opportunity set before him, do something that was hard that could be very rewarding! But on the other hand, this was scary. It was hard, it would cause a great deal of change in his life. It would require letting go of all that he had known for the 19 years of his life. He would have to leave his family, it would require alot of risk, and it would set into motion many unknowns. He would have to leave what he had always known for the possibility of something greater or worse. He didn't know. He just didn't know...
There was the problem, it was right in front of him, he didn't know what was beyond the edge of his little universe because he had never dared to step beyond his little bubble. He was content with the way things were, he was content because he knew the good and the bad that went along with it. He knew that he wasn't fully satisfied, but he also knew there was a chance he would be less satisfied if he got on that boat, if he decided to risk. He knew there was the chance that things might somehow get worse for him if he got on the boat. Fear was paralyzing him. Fear was holding him back from his future, from opportunity. Fear was preventing him from doing the hard thing. The right thing.

And you know what he did?
He sat there. He sat there and actually took the time to think through this whole situation.
And he got up. And he looked fear in the face. And He proceeded to walk onto the boat and head to the New World. He did the hard thing. He now faced many unknowns, and he faced many opportunities. He said goodbye to the family that he loved so dearly, and chose to risk everything for real freedom. The way it had always been was no longer good enough for him, he wanted to rise above the oppression and rise on the wings of freedom and opportunity.
He did what few are ever willing to do. He chose to take the difficult path, he chose to not settle for the way things had always been.
As one great poet put it, he "took the road less travelled by, and that made all the difference."