Being the optimist that I am I find it easy to hope for the best; however, hope is really not a strategy. The experience of life however, (--X--has taught--X--) is teaching me to prepare for the worst. Yes, these are those precious lessons you don’t gather from books, self-interested authors and schools but rather from real life, real world problems, gridlocks, failures, Human errors and the wisdom you find on the streets. Being intuitive is not for everyone; Trusting your gut instincts over and over again only strengthens it. People, places, things, systems and solutions, they all are bound to fail at some point, it is merely a question of time and probability. Clearly, this is the only real valid assumption the wise seem to have ever made without regrets. This is perhaps the most reliable strategy that effectively counters the imperfections of the not so ideal world..things..people..places we may encounter through our lives. It is nothing but harmless to take ownership of the facts, to do your due diligence and to be prepared against most odds more or less. Solomon teaches us, Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life. (Proverbs 13:12) How do you respond when situations don’t go as planned? The reality is there is absolutely no security on this Earth but there is plenty of opportunity for those who have a clear grasp and undiluted sense for the hard but plausible realities and facts of Life. Winston Churchill said, “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; and optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” Yes, we need both optimists and pessimists. It only serves as a good mix full of balance. But the key to success will always remain in the hands of the ‘Realist’, who has already been there and done that... well (or badly) enough to understand and know the path and all the hidden dangers, pitfalls and risks that come with it. It’s been said, “The optimist invents the airplane and the pessimist the parachute.” But we also need realists. William Arthur Ward gives a a good summary to this discussion,“The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.”
May we always strive to perceive and accept reality for all of what it is(both good and bad) without resorting to easy and convenient assumptions, and may we strive to identify, work through and convert the abundance and opportunities it always presents.
May we be Realists as we face the storms of life.
~ Best Wishes & Warm Regards,
Jai Krishna Ponnappan
