Writing about the future is always a delicate task, one that requires a deft pen and discerning mind. On the one hand, the future has yet to happen which implies that we have something to say about how it unfolds. On the other hand, human beings have rarely been able to manage the world in any respectable sense, so any talk of the future is necessarily influenced by the current list of unresolved conflicts and challenges and a leadership which lacks the clarity to make a difference. Still, to go into the future without a plan is like living on a flood plain and surrendering to chance what we have worked hard to accomplish. Though seasons may pass uneventfully, likely will come the day when we are faced with a life-altering tsunami of circumstance. Being prepared helps even the odds against an outright catastrophe.
But what does being prepared mean?
In 1907, an English soldier named Baden-Powell first conceived the Scout motto: Be Prepared. A year later it was published in Scouting for Boys where he wrote that to be prepared means “you are always in a state of readiness in mind and body to do your duty.” And what of duty? Duty is an inner call to do the right thing at the right time, that is, to do what is needed when it is needed. Being prepared, then, is to be in a state of readiness in body and mind such that when the moment calls for us to act, we are able to do so in decisive fashion. As the old proverb implores, we should dig the well before the house is on fire.
Being prepared refers to taking ownership of what is within our control. Regarding body, this means that it is our duty to maintain the body in such a condition that doing what is needed is never compromised due to our own negligence. Life happens and at times our physical health is simply at the mercy of what is to be; however, to a large extent, good health is determined by the food we eat, the stress we take on, the environment within which we choose to live, and the amount of movement and exercise with which we engage our physical self — all things with which we have at least some control. Going back to the metaphor of the well, it does no good to know what needs to be done if we are physically unable to do it.
Mental preparedness in part refers to our level of skill. Obviously, we cannot be experts in every field, but we can be an expert in our own life. This means knowing our talents and abilities and taking steps to make sure they are fully realised. Whether this means going back to school, enrolling in adult education, or becoming our own teacher, being in a state of preparedness means that our innate talents and abilities are honed such that a lack of skill is never an impediment to step up and do what is needed. We may see the necessity of digging the well before the fire and have the necessary physical attributes, but if we are unsure how a proper well is dug, our insight and good health are wasted.
Mental preparedness also refers to our willingness to do what is needed. No matter our skill or physical ability, if we are unwilling to dig the well, the well will never be dug. The greatest enemy of willingness is our attachment to the laundry list of likes and dislikes we carry with us like a King’s treasure. As with morals, our list of likes and dislikes is in large part an aspect of our personality created from childhood associations to family, culture, and environment. Through astrology, we discover that these “compulsions” arise from lifetimes of experiencing pain and pleasure. Of no particular significance other than social, likes and dislikes are closely related to our desire for comfort and convenience.
Remember the story of the Little Red Hen? In the end, the other barnyard animals do not get to share in the prosperity of the hen because of their unwillingness to do what was needed when it was needed. Their attachment to what was pleasant and convenient, e.g. the cat’s attachment to napping and the pig’s dinner-time overindulgence, stamped out any willingness to help. In the same way, when we are unwilling to put aside our thirst for comfort and pleasure even for a few moments, what needs to be done and should be done will be sacrificed at the alter of compulsion and our life unfolds unconsciously.
A compelling example of the consequences of becoming distracted can be found in Francis Ford Coppola’s 1979 war epic Apocalypse Now. After leading an effective charge of helicopter gunships against a Vietcong village, Robert Duvall’s iconic figure Lt. Col. “I-love-the-smell-of-napalm-in-the-morning” Kilgore admonishes a group of South Vietnamese soldiers for refusing water to a gravely wounded Vietcong. Declaring how he gives a drink to anyone brave enough to give their all, Kilgore offers water from his own canteen. Right at that moment, however, a soldier tells Kilgore that one of the infantry soldiers present is an accomplished surfer. His attention now diverted by one of his passions, the water from Kilgore’s canteen falls aimlessly onto the ground inches from the wounded man’s mouth who desperately struggles to catch even one drop. Though this scene lasts but a few seconds, the message is clear: if we live life unconsciously, our compulsions will always rise to the surface, no matter how demonstrative we proclaim otherwise.
Our moments of distraction are probably not as dramatic as Lt. Col. Kilgore’s, but they just as easily separate us from doing our duty. They have become an intimate part of our life whether through comfort and convenience or living in such a rush that even our morning shower becomes an obstacle to our ambitions. And to what end? Modern society enjoys technological convenience like no other society before and yet finding time to quietly reflect on life with a warm cup of tea is akin to finding a ruby on our doorstep. We have sacrificed peace of mind for what?
Being prepared means that we are willing to put our distractions aside for the greater good. It means we are able to respond in each moment to the capacity with which we can. This means we are responsible to each other, no matter creed, colour, or family history. For a responsible person, there is no prejudice; we do what is needed because the duty of the moment requires us to act. Moreover, such responsibility extends to the entire world and all of life becomes our responsibility. In such a state of willingness, there is no need for “right action” legislation; instead, our awareness of what is beneficial for all makes us guardians of the world.
Being prepared also recognises our responsibility towards not only our generation, but to all future generations. Though some things are simply beyond our control, we can do well if we remember the popular poem attributed to Reinhold Neibuhr (1892-1971):
God grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change;Â
Courage to change the things I can;
And wisdom to know the difference.
What can we change and what must we learn to accept? Knowing this difference allows resources to be concentrated towards real solutions. More importantly, it suggests there are things we should not change. Too often, however, leadership initiates change without any real clarity of the consequences of doing so. Confidence without clarity tramples the rights of others and ends up being abusive towards at least some — even if initiated with altruistic intent. The road to hell, it is said, is paved with good intentions.
Being prepared is inherently tolerant. With nothing written in stone but the willingness to do what is needed, each moment of life is lived responsibly and out of the box. Having no prescribed formula or prejudice, we simply offer what is needed when it is needed according to our capacity and abilities. By focusing on the greatest need of each moment, we automatically have a hand in making the world a better place.
As we begin this auspicious new year, approach each moment as a moment tailor made for your talents and abilities. In this way, you offer what you can, just as you are. Doing so, you will have done your part to create a better future not only for yourself but for all life on this planet. Like a pebble dropped into a clear lake, your conscious actions will reverberate outward and contribute to a better world.
References
https://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2017/05/08/be-prepared-scout-motto-origin/
https://www.lords-prayer-words.com/famous_prayers/god_grant_me_the_serenity.html
https://www.bookologymagazine.com/resources/authors-emeritus/dodge-mary-mapes/
https://groovyhistory.com/i-love-the-smell-of-napalm-in-the-morning-apocalypse-now
https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/the-road-to-hell-is-paved-with-good-intentions.html
