The World Changes In A Second, How Well Are You Prepared?
Well actually to put it correctly, it takes a lot of time to change, but when it’s happening, it happens in a second. But we’re all suck at noticing those subtle signs, slowly fill up the tank.
Life is full of those unexpected changes. Not sure if I want to mention things that come to my mind right now, but when I look back I do have experienced a lot in recent years. Anyone, anything you firmly believed in might change in the next second, expected or unexpected, predictable or unpredictable.
So how to and what to prepare? You can’t prepare for all, so you’d better to have some wise advice, or further more, principles to follow.
Be Flexible
You can’t do everything you want, but you can do anything you want.
When you look back, how many plan B turns out works way better than the initial plan A? If all my plan As worked I wouldn’t come to Japan, I wouldn’t have the desire to learn English, and I wouldn’t writing this piece of post for sure. Those examples will just get more and more when you grow older.
React with your best judgement at that moment. And how to make better decision in those situations? I think it’s through daily practices. How you feed your brain with great contents, how you educate yourself and tweak little parts towards mentally tough everyday, does have a huge impact when that day, that moment comes. Would you just let your emotion and impulse take control of your body and do whatever they want at that moment, or you could still be yourself, pause, and respond properly?
10% of life is made up of what happens to you, the other 90% is decided by how you react.
Lighthouse Principles
I believe there’re lighthouse principles that never change. They’re universal, and timeless.
One of the many famous quotes from Stephen R. Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. A set of principle based values will show you the direction, provide you clear sense of vision, purpose for the future, that you live by.
Surprisingly I found a draft principles I wrote in 2014, what a timely reminder. Don’t think at the time of writing I followed any formats or guides, some of them are probably not that universal and some are event just questions, but after reading it I felt quite, content.
- Love is a choice, a commitment. I commit to love my family unconditionally.
- Life is a gift, do what matters, go make it count.
- I can choose my response, no matter what circumstances are.
- Money is not the symbol of success and happiness.
- I can’t change the default scripts handed to me, but I can rescript it by my free will, by design from now on.
- Treat people the way you want to be treated.
- I can be right but wrong at the top my voice. Be conscious how I delivered the message.
- Imagine my funeral, what do I want people to say about me?
- Imagine myself is the husband of my daughter, do I want her to marry a person like me?
- Don’t over investment on personal hobbies, but also don’t less investment on self improvement.
Progress. Not Perfection.
(Just some random midnight thoughts)
