The Decision Point
The Decision Point is where dreams are born—or buried.
On December 31, 1999, as the world entered a new millennium, ESPN aired a video montage titled “Images of the Century.” It was a powerful segment showing some of the most memorable sports highlights from the previous 100 years. With Aerosmith’s iconic song, “Dream On,” playing in the background, viewers were shown a series of images and video clips including Lou Gehrig's farewell speech and Muhammad Ali's declaration of being "a bad man," to Michael Jordan's game-winning shots and the Chicago Bears' "Super Bowl Shuffle."
For a few minutes, as midnight struck and a new millennium began, millions watched in silence.
Something stirred.
The Possibility.
The Conviction.
They made resolutions. Vows. Promises to begin.
They meant it.
Decades later, most never started.
Not because they forgot. Because they waited.
There comes a moment for everyone. It doesn’t arrive with fanfare.
No spotlight.
No applause.
It comes quietly wrapped in routine and dressed as an ordinary moment.
But something inside you knows—This is it.
The Decision Point.
The crossroads where every excuse falls silent.
The noise fades.
The distractions dissolve.
And it’s just you, face-to-face with your future.
The path behind you is paved with safety and comfort, lined with routines, distractions, and the kind of quiet failure that wears the mask of success.
It whispers to you:
“Stay here. It’s safe.”
“Don’t push.”
“Don’t change.”
But deep down, you know the truth: comfort never built anything worth remembering, and it never changed a life.
Growth demands discomfort. It seeks clarity in confusion. It inspires courage in the face of fear. Conviction when nothing is guaranteed.
The Decision Point is where dreams are born—or buried.
It’s not about knowing everything—it’s about choosing something.
Choosing to act.
To risk.
To move.
History doesn’t remember the hesitant. It remembers the resolute.
Frederick Douglass didn’t wait.
J.K. Rowling didn’t quit.
William Tyndale didn’t flinch.
Their moment came, and they chose.
What about you?
Will you stop?
Will you fold?
Or will you step forward?
The Decision Point is sacred because it’s yours alone. You can’t outsource it, and you can’t delay it.
Every transformation begins at this moment. Every legacy starts here.
This is the moment that separates the dreamers from the doers.
The talkers from the builders.
The cowards from the courageous.
When your moment comes—and it will—stand still, feel the weight, and move with everything you have.
Because the future doesn’t belong to the fearful, it belongs to the decisive.
The world is waiting.
Not for your plans.
Not for your perfection.
For your choice.
Step forward.
Note: I’ve completed a new book, and this is an excerpt from it. Details will follow, including the publishing date, but I appreciate each of you and wanted to provide an early look.
Dr. Travis Yates retired as a commander with a large municipal police department after 30 years of service. He is the author of “The Courageous Police Leader: A Survival Guide for Combating Cowards, Chaos & Lies.” His risk management and leadership seminars have been taught to thousands of professionals across the world. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy with a Doctorate Degree in Strategic Leadership and the CEO of the Courageous Police Leadership Alliance.