HW: #WednesdayWisdom; The unknown around the bend.

It is my personal preference to be as prepared as possible. Do you have an umbrella in your car? I sure do. It is my experience that preparation becomes smoother and more efficient the more we practice it. Normally, I do not wear a hat, so even though I packed sunscreen for an outdoor event over the weekend, I completely forgot about a hat. I vowed to be prepared next time. But was it? Nope. What happened the very next day was that I forgot a hat. Or maybe I did not forget at all, instead maybe it was my subconscious that did not think it was necessary (I needed it less on Saturday than I did on Sunday). 

That, in combination with my recent less than sunny feelings made me think of how we prepare emotionally. Have you ever expected someone to say/ do a certain thing and you vowed to not react in your usual manner? Were you successful? Chances are that you exploded in the heat of the moment. 

“Life is like a roller coaster. No matter how prepared you think you are, you are still going to be terrified and scream as you plunge to your death.” – Goldie

I do A LOT of psychoanalysis. It is one of my favorite pastimes. (It is only on an amateur level, since I am not a professional.) What that means is that I connect the dots between people’s actions, my thoughts and my reactions in my head. Analyzing why certain thoughts and reactions are prompted equips me with the tools for the next time I interact with people. We have probably all been told to “think before you speak”, and I consider that great advice. It allows you to quickly assess the situation and gives you time to CHOOSE your reaction. However, this method is not foolproof. Sometimes, no matter how much you think you are prepared for a specific situation, you still react in a less-than-satisfactory (to you) way.

Why is that? You cannot see what is behind the hill. You can prepare for a creek, but what if there is a sea? Every situation is unique and you cannot fully prepare for everything. It is not feasible. Also, I think the element of surprise is an important one. You can be expecting a drop, but you do not know when it will come. Or how steep it will be…

Every one of us prepares in a different way, because we prepare for different things. Most of the time we ready ourselves for the things that will surely come, or have a high chance of occurring. However, if possible, I urge that you try and somewhat prepare yourself for what you think has a small chance of happening, too. It is those things that actually make the biggest impact in the end if they do happen.

Stay golden,

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