Planning Ahead

Recently I re-learned a valuable lesson I had allowed to fall into dis-use and neglect.  The lesson is planning for the future.  Even if the vision and goals for my life are in flux or fuzzy in lacking detail, there are a multitude of pro-active measures I can take to stay prepared and on the ready for the time when my plans may be implemented.  In previous posts I discussed getting accepted to the University of Texas in Austin.  Actually getting accepted caught me very off guard as I was expecting to have my application denied once again, as I was during the first application process.  Life is full of the unexpected, and I must be prepared, as much as humanly possible, for such surprises.  In this particular case, planning ahead involves: commitment to the goal at hand without hesitation, looking months in advance for all possible options, creating and utilizing a network of contacts in and around the relative issue or circumstance, saving money, expecting a "yes" first and a possible "no" later, and so much more.  A valued friend once told me, "It is easier to steer a moving car than one which is stationary."  All this means is, transitioning from one stage or season of life to another is easier when I plan and prepare for the goal in mind.  This involves the "moving car" in the example.  If obstacles get thrown up and force me to make necessary changes, then "my moving car is easier to steer."  So even though I may not get to attend UT in Austin, I have grown and learned from this experience.  (That is if I implement what I have learned.)  I challenge each and every one of you to begin planning ahead even if you do not know what the future looks like yet.

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