Tag Archives: preparation

“If there is a single lesson…”

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“If there is a single lesson that life teaches us, it’s that wishing doesn’t make it so.”

—Lev Grossman, Author and Journalist

Illustration from Flickr by Tom Simpson

Illustration from Flickr by Tom Simpson

Walt Disney World is a magical place that we have visited many times with our children and family. In the childhood classic, Pinocchio, Jiminy Cricket sang, “When you wish upon a star,” a song which says that anything your heart desires will come to you.

For most families, planning a six-nights/seven days vacation full of magic can cost anywhere from $1,000 per person to over $10,000 for a family of four. Given that money does not magically grow on trees, affording it takes considerable effort and sacrifice. This is especially true for the average family, whose median annual household income, according to the 2012 census data, is about $50,000.

EXERCISE:

To what extent are your most fervent hopes, desires, and wishes backed up with necessary efforts and actions, to make even more of your dreams come true?

“It is better to prevent than to cure.”

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“It is better to prevent than to cure.”

—Peruvian Proverb

Photo from Flickr by Phossil

Photo from Flickr by Phossil

Many years ago, there was a TV commercial for Fram oil filters, using the marketing slogan, “you can pay me now, or pay me later.” The premise of this campaign was to garner the support of auto mechanics. The mechanics, in turn, would suggest that you could do one of two things:

Invest a small sum in protecting your car’s engine with a new Fram oil filter right now, or pay for an expensive engine repair or replacement down the road.

EXERCISE:

Where would an ounce of prevention be worth more than a pound of cure in your professional or personal life? What actions will you take today to invest a little, for far greater value or savings in the future?

“I will prepare and someday, my chance will come.”

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“I will prepare and someday, my chance will come.”

– Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States

Image of hands planting a small tree

Image from Flickr by alexindigo

It is early summer in Michigan and this past weekend, I noticed a large number of my neighbors working on their lawns and landscaping. Many were also preparing the soil and planting flowers in their gardens.

Their driveways were piled with soil, mulch, grass-seed, and lots of other preparatory resources, to help the flowers and greenery grow.

Exercise:

What preparatory activities can you engage in today, and all year long, to increase your professional and personal chances of success?

be prepared for opportunity

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“It is better to be prepared for an opportunity and not have one than to have one and not be prepared.”

– Whitney Young, Jr., American Civil Rights Leader

Image of Boy Scout Logo

When I was young, I was a Boy Scout – you know, that organization that teaches young folks to “be prepared.” Although I never achieved the rank of Eagle Scout, this motto has remained with me all these years.

People today may tease or ridicule us for being a Boy Scout – for the plans we make, the lists we create, and the forethought we give to projects and areas of importance. For me, being a bit of a Boy Scout has worked out pretty well.

Exercise:

Look at your own efforts to be prepared for those important opportunities you may know about – and perhaps others not currently on your radar.

Determine what additional or modified Boy Scout habits would help you make the most of the opportunities life presents.