Quoted message said:Quoted message said:
Although random "bad luck" events can occur, often they can be traced
to
Quoted message said:Quoted message said:neglecting a prior, easily repairable problem that has now compounded.
Avoidance of fixing a popped out board in a fence that would require a
few
Quoted message said:Quoted message said:nails and 5 minutes of time, could morph into having to spend even more
in
Quoted message said:Quoted message said:time and money to get a new board, cut it, and finding the right color
of
Quoted message said:Quoted message said:stain. It could easily turn into a 4 hour job due to neglect.
Some people may think it was a string of bad luck that, the board got
popped out, then after a month it got lost, and then a dog came in and
dug
Quoted message said:Quoted message said:holes all over the lawn, and then to top it off, it takes half a day to
fix
Quoted message said:Quoted message said:the fence. This same person may even have had to also buy a new handsaw
because he was unlucky that old one got rusty from leaving it in the
rain
Quoted message said:Quoted message said:from the last unfinished repair job.
Being prepared for something in advance of it happening is also a way
of
Quoted message said:Quoted message said:avoiding "bad luck". Factories would call this, Planned Maintenance. If
the
Quoted message said:Quoted message said:fence in the above scenario was checked occasionally for loose boards,
the
Quoted message said:Quoted message said:event of the popped out board may not have even occurred in the first
place.
Quoted message said:Quoted message said:It is impossible to be prepared for every event, but steps can be
taken to
Quoted message said:Quoted message said:minimize many problems. This pertains to all aspects of life. Not just
in a
Quoted message said:Quoted message said:mechanical sense.
Quoted message said:>
Yes yes yes!! That's totally true. The kicker is that "it is impossible
to be prepared for every event." I think the way we live now, so
dependent on ever more complicated machines for our day to day lives,
adds a lot more things that can go wrong. And a lot of those things
that can go wrong are really outside the expertise of most people. With
a newer car, for instance, so much of it is computerized that the
average Joe isn't going to be able to fix a problem in his own garage at
home any more. That's just one example, but you get my gist.
I do know what you mean about everyday life becoming more complicated and
overwhelming. I have a 2002 Honda that would be difficult for me to repair.
Even a trained mechanic would have a hard time repairing the car if she
didn't bring her tools with her.
I still have options to minimize my problems in the event of a break down.
Cell phone, warm clothing, proper(practical) footwear, telling someone where
I am going, a small tool kit, food or snacks. Even making sure the broken
fence is in good condition before I leave on a trip makes me feel more
secure and able to deal with life's unexpected events. Problems are
inconveniences rather than crisis.
If I have never owned a hammer and didn't know how to swing it anyway, I
still have options to repair the fence. I can ask someone who knows how, or
I can pay somebody. I can at least put the board in a place where I know it
won't get lost and then have to spend more time and money to make a new one.
I can also cover the hole with something else so the dogs can't get in. Some
solutions may only be temporary until the real answer can be found.
From my experience, being prepared is not something that is done the
night before. An accumulated lifetime of knowledge is a lifestyle choice
that allows a person to be ready for anything. "You can pay me now, or you
can pay me later", is a way of thinking and living to reduce future stress.
Every aspect of life builds on itself from a foundation and then grows.
If there are too many problems, growth stagnates, and can even reverse.
Lifestyle choices now affect what happens later in the future. Being born
with a high IQ and in a rich family is lucky, but a person following the
wrong path in life can still end up in the gutter by their own choices. That
would not be a factor of luck, but rather of careless choices(or not
choosing at all).
"Person A's" problems may be a learning experience and help them to grow
and be strong. "Person B's" troubles can eat at them until the core is
hollowed out. Can a person do everything right and still wind up living in
hell? Yes of course. Can an undeserving criminal win a lottery or land a
dream job? Sure. There are no guarantees.
The more someone does to improve their life, the happier they will be by
the successful accomplishment of goals. And on the other hand, problems that
are left to fester can easily grow larger and out of control as well.
Quitting smoking is difficult. Once you accomplish that goal, you will
feel that you have the will to do anything and other problems in your life
seem smaller.