Preparation

I was struck this morning by the idea of preparation.  When it comes to doing a post about a new recipe I've created, I spend a great deal of time preparing for the final product.  Then, the post itself can sometimes take me a day or two to get everything just the way I want it.  My point is, preparation is an undeniably essential element in pulling off an amazing dish.  


The idea of preparation as a building block of life just wouldn't leave my mind.  I started thinking, really the key to success in the kitchen is also a foundational principle of life.  Whether you realize it or not, you are in preparation for something today.  Maybe you're in school.  Whether you're conscious of it or not, you are getting together the "ingredients" necessary to succeed in a future career.  Now, you may be haphazardly going through the motions.  Or, you may just be on autopilot all together but, whether you realize it or not, you are in preparation for something.


Even as small children at play, we are preparing ourselves for future roles… Two girls playing Barbies -  One always comes up  with extremely imaginative story lines and never seems to run out of adventures for Barbie to play while the other is content to just dress, redress, and style Barbie, her friends, and her dream house all day long.  Two different girls.  Two different ideas of play.  Two potential life talents being ever so slightly grown, groomed, and prepped through simple play.


So here's my question - What exactly are you purposefully, or, inadvertently preparing yourself for today?  


Mind you, we don't have a choice as to whether or not we're preparing for something or not.  The actions you take today, the relationships you choose to cultivate, the way you spend your time, that's all a part of your preparation.  The final "dish" so to speak, is not always easy to see but, today, you are preparing for who you will be tomorrow.  Don't you think it's worth while to be intentional about that?  I know I do…


For a lot of my life, I was on autopilot.  I made decisions that affected the course of my life but, not always with the final product in mind.  I was short sited, just making decisions that seemed to satisfy or effect the here and now without much consideration for what I was really preparing myself for in the future.  So, I'll ask the question again, "What are you preparing yourself for?"  Maybe, I'm the only one who needed to hear this but, I for one am tired of believing that I don't have much say in how my "piece of the pie" shapes up.  I for one want to make conscious decisions about what ingredients I choose to blend into the story of my life.  My story does not have to be the result of an accidental mixture of events designed and delivered randomly by fate.  Fate is a fake.  Fate doesn't exist.  Faith does though.  


I have faith that I can purposefully fold into the batter of my life the experiences, people, knowledge, and skills that will ultimately produce the wonderful, fully developed Me, I'm meant to be.


But, I can't be lazy.  I can't deny that if I choose to waste time or continue to ignore that every day, in some way, can be preparation with a purpose, then, I'll miss out on becoming the me I want to be.  I'm not really 100% sure what all that looks like just yet but, I'm happy just to start trying.