"Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine, and at last you create what you will." -- George Bernard Shaw

"The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." -- Winston Churchill

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Change in plans

I remember when I was in high school and people would ask me about my plans for the future. I would rattle off a list that was very carefully constructed, even if not realistic and not really that well thought out. It seemed realistic to me at the time, but it didn't really have a defined goal at the end. In my ignorance, I thought I had things worked out.

Well, plans changed, life happened, and because I really didn't have a goal, I went with it. I'm not saying that where I am now wouldn't have been an excellent goal and where I would have wanted to plan on being, but I am saying I would be better off at this point if I had arrived here on purpose.

I believe it was Elder Nelson, I could be wrong, who said something to the effect that failing to plan is planning to fail.

I don't believe that my overall life to this point has been a failure, but parts of it have. Different points in my life were not as well utilized, I believe as a result that I didn't plan. What does that mean for my future at this point?

Hopefully, I've learned the lesson and will no longer face failed points in my life. Right? Right. Moving on, defining our plans, rearranging as necessary, throwing in contingency plans. Can anyone really plan for the future? When I was in high school and people asked my plans, I didn't put in marriage, because it was an unknown. How much recognition should we give to known unknowns which may/will come?

Have I failed to this point? Perhaps, in some ways. Need I fail in the future? I guess time will tell.

4 comments:

Alex said...

meh. don't be too hard on yourself.

sometimes even plans get changed. if I had followed my high school plan, I'd be 7 years from retiring, in excellent shape (since the plan was to be a Ranger) or I'd be dead (occupational hazard).

the rapidly formed alternate plan includes a wonderful, loving wife, a profession that I love (even though I occasionally miss the Army) and hopefully sooner or later one or more degrees.

yeah, I'm in probably the worst shape I've ever been in, and you could look at that as a failure. but sometimes the fact that we did the best we could with what life handed us is more important than the immediate fact that we didn't stick to all or part of the plan.

sorry for the uber-long comment... :)

Miranda Allen said...

No apology necessary. I'm not sorry for where I am. Do I have regrets? Yes. I'm trying to recognize what it is that caused the regrets. How can I make my future better.

down in the valley said...

Dear daughter this is dad not mom (she was signed in). Its been a wonderful evening visiting with you and your cute daughter. I think that some of our greatest successes come when we just do the next right thing that is in front of us. I look at you and your kids and I see success. In the end isn't the plan that's most important our saviors plan of salvation. If that guides most of our actions then the result is success. Love ya good Daughter

Miranda Allen said...

Thanks Dad.