BE PREPARED!

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I believe that people make their own luck by great preparation and good strategy – Jack Caufield

I believe “Be Prepared” should be the universal mantra of everyone. In everything we do, we should always be prepared. When I took an Uber ride last week, I was aghast when the driver actually asked me for directions on how to get home because he said his Waze app was not functioning. I said he should be prepared to give good service to his passengers because we pay so much to be brought to our destination.

In our work, we meet clients to promote our products. How does the “Be Prepared” motto or mantra fit in? We have to know the background first of our client which means doing a short research before we visit. Based on that, we will know what products to offer. It’s like tweaking our marketing strategy to fit the customer’s needs, avoid the standard presentation and then focus only on relevant matters.

I know of someone who flunked the civil service exams twice because he most probably did not study hard enough and prepare for the exams. After leaving his job, he dared to venture into foreign territory without a job waiting for him. Was there any plan and any form of preparation? Apparently, he was trying to hitch his wagon to a star with epic failed results.

Opportunity does not waste time with those who are unprepared – Idowu Koyenikan

In this dog-eat-dog world, we have to constantly evolve to make ourselves relevant to the changing times. How many people do we know who have not been able to adapt to change? In this day and age of technological and digital advancements, the best way to welcome change is to have an open heart and mind and to follow the universal motto to always be prepared.

Preparation is everything – David Robinson

2 Comments

Rodel Carating on January 8, 2018 at 9:55 am

Yes, I like your well written piece. Two things I like to comment on. One needs to internalize into the individual system what it means to be prepared. To say one is prepared is one thing, but to be actually prepared is another thing. I learned what it means to be prepared from a colleague in the office when I used to be with PNOC Alcohol Corporation. We had a contingent of Japanese visitors coming for technical cooperation. While we have researched in advanced official responses to their query, Pitty (that is the name of my office mate who is ahead of me by two years in UPLB and she was also a UP Gov’t Scholar who specialized in sugar technology) – she prepared this index card with basic info – answers to questions that would normally come up in conversation. In short, she ANTICIPATED what would happen when our Japanese visitors arrived, and she prepared so as not to be caught flat footed. I was very impressed with her definition of preparation – that includes anticipation of potential issues, problems, questions; not just preparing for what we have planned to do.

The second point you raised up is adapting to change. Yes, for someone who is from an old school like me, I don’t go for shortcuts, gay lingos, slangs, etc in written communication – but slowly, maybe to dramatize a point, I learn to adapt (e.g. – how to be you, po? Although I still do not use “lodi” and “petmalu”) or learn to communicate in the text without capitalizing words that need to be capitalized or putting punctuation marks. Old folks tend to be afraid of electronic gadgets and I am no exception. But if we want to enjoy life, old folks like me need to adapt to modern life without necessarily throwing away the “good old days”. But I also have tendency to erode such good old practice. When young people take my hands to kiss as show of respect, I would be surprised that there are still young people who do this and my immediate response is “Thank you”. After they are gone, then I realize my proper response should be “God bless you”. People kiss the hands of elderly not only to show respect but to receive blessings. So I think there should be a proper balance in adaptation. Old folks like me should learn to adapt without necessarily throwing away the roots of good practices.

Surge Salas on January 8, 2018 at 8:05 pm

Thanks Rodel. We all have to be prepared in anything we do.
Cheers!!!

Rodel Carating on January 8, 2018 at 9:55 am

Yes, I like your well written piece. Two things I like to comment on. One needs to internalize into the individual system what it means to be prepared. To say one is prepared is one thing, but to be actually prepared is another thing. I learned what it means to be prepared from a colleague in the office when I used to be with PNOC Alcohol Corporation. We had a contingent of Japanese visitors coming for technical cooperation. While we have researched in advanced official responses to their query, Pitty (that is the name of my office mate who is ahead of me by two years in UPLB and she was also a UP Gov’t Scholar who specialized in sugar technology) – she prepared this index card with basic info – answers to questions that would normally come up in conversation. In short, she ANTICIPATED what would happen when our Japanese visitors arrived, and she prepared so as not to be caught flat footed. I was very impressed with her definition of preparation – that includes anticipation of potential issues, problems, questions; not just preparing for what we have planned to do.

The second point you raised up is adapting to change. Yes, for someone who is from an old school like me, I don’t go for shortcuts, gay lingos, slangs, etc in written communication – but slowly, maybe to dramatize a point, I learn to adapt (e.g. – how to be you, po? Although I still do not use “lodi” and “petmalu”) or learn to communicate in the text without capitalizing words that need to be capitalized or putting punctuation marks. Old folks tend to be afraid of electronic gadgets and I am no exception. But if we want to enjoy life, old folks like me need to adapt to modern life without necessarily throwing away the “good old days”. But I also have tendency to erode such good old practice. When young people take my hands to kiss as show of respect, I would be surprised that there are still young people who do this and my immediate response is “Thank you”. After they are gone, then I realize my proper response should be “God bless you”. People kiss the hands of elderly not only to show respect but to receive blessings. So I think there should be a proper balance in adaptation. Old folks like me should learn to adapt without necessarily throwing away the roots of good practices.
- Surge Salas on January 8, 2018 at 8:05 pm
  
  Thanks Rodel. We all have to be prepared in anything we do.
  Cheers!!!

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