We know that phrase, “Prepare for the worst.”
There may be times when this truly needs to be said, but I’m going to venture to guess that we haven’t heard these words spoken to us directly very often. So… I wonder, why do we so frequently assume the very worst outcome is going to happen?
I also ask this question of myself, because this is perhaps a bit of a paradox in my own life:
People experience me to be very optimistic, upbeat, and positive (at least, people tell me this) and every bit of that is authentic. And at the very same time, I have such a propensity to move toward anxiety. I am capable of imagining the worst possible outcomes. I’ve learned to live in the ambiguity of this, choosing joyfulness and gratitude as much as I can (that’s what makes me seem optimistic). But the paradox is always alive – these two truths at the same time.
Does that resonate with you? I bet others live this paradox too.
I thought about this again this weekend, and that’s when I thought, why not make it a practice to Prepare for the Best?
I don’t mean any sort of head in the sand or head in the clouds lack of engagement with reality. But I do mean, what if we spent time pondering what is possible? What if we believed more was possible? What if we lived in that direction so much that more actually was possible?
Despite my anxious tendencies in life, I believe in these questions, and I believe in what they can create.
So what if we spend some time Preparing for the Best?
Smuggling Grace 