Prepare — a word that applies to every aspect of life!  The first syllable is Latin for “before.”  Yes, preparation is what it is only when it is proactive.  “Pare” means “to make ready.”  Coincidentally, it also means “cut off the outer layer” — a practice people engage in with their fruits and vegetables.

Preparation is an act for both protection and enjoyment.  Nature first prepares our fruits and veggies with an outer layer of protection.  Then, because the skin is less flavorful than what is inside, people and animals prepare food by removing the protective covering.  In both cases, preparation is a proactive activity.

Apparently human beings think they are Mother Nature.  We put on our own outer layer of protection to shield us from what we often fear most — CHANGE! It’s not so much the end result we fear.  It’s the vulnerability in-between the status quo and the outcome (when we remove the skin) that we fear most.  If change came with a guarantee that it would be quick, easy, inexpensive and error-free, most of us would welcome more of it in our lives.

While there is no such guarantee, there is something we can all do to counteract our fears.  It’s called Preparation!  Unfortunately, when it comes to preparation, people are just as lax, perhaps because preparation IS change.  It’s true!  To enjoy the benefits of change, we must first embrace and practice the form of change known as “Preparation, The Mother of All Change.”