Sun, sun, sun, here it comes

The more prepared you are, the less things control you.

Say your train to work is twenty minutes late because of a construction delay. But you have a fully charged phone with books, podcasts and music cued up.

The likelihood of feeling trapped, bored or helpless is quite low. Because the world isn’t dictating your experience. You’re free to move within the external constraints life has imposed, because you’re equipped to handle shit.

Train not coming? Fine. Shift to plan b and keep moving. Like, immediately. Speed is critical at this moment. It’s what fuels your resilience.

Most people get frustrated, search for certainty, or resist the reality of the delay. They curse the heavens for this shitty thing happening to them, rather than seeing it as an opportunity to pivot.

Adaptive people switch gears as quickly as possible. So fast, that they short circuit fear and uncertainty. It’s muscle memory. Instead of pacing and complaining, they automatically snap into action.

Here’s another example. Beatles fans will appreciate this story.

George was known as the quiet one, which is one of the reasons he was my favorite. But just because he wasn’t loud, doesn’t mean he wasn’t prepared. I’ve heard famous guitar players mention in interviews that nobody changed a broken string faster.

George would be rehearsing in the studio, and if he heard that fateful twang snap, he didn’t even flinch. While the rest of the band carried on, his hands moved with pit crew precision. Case popped open, fresh string out, thread, wind, tighten, tune. By the time the chorus came back around, he was already back in the pocket, his fingers sliding into place as if nothing had happened.

Sun, sun, sun, here it comes.

How prepared are you? How does being equipped and ready for everything make you feel less controlled by anything?