How do you prepare for the unknown?

By just being me. The next meeting, the next moment is always the unknown. There was a time when I put a great deal of energy into preparing for the unknown… preparing for all of the ‘unknowns’. When I was a little girl, I grew up as a part of the Girl Guide movement (the comparable movement in the US was girls scouts) I was a brownie, a girl guide and a pathfinder. I learned a great deal by being part of this group – really it was the first exposure I had to the concept of preparedness. In fact, the motto was ‘be prepared’. I have dedicated myself to a certain extent to being prepared. I remember the anxiety of Y2K. I stocked the pantry with food and water – just in case. I have trained in a variety of wilderness and survival skills (not to mention emergency preparedness)  – just in case. I even taught (at one point) others how to survive in the wild – to live off the land if they were lost – how to assemble a tent if blindfolded – how to track the trail if necessary – I studied it, breathed it, taught it and lived i t - why? Because of the unknown.

I don’t remember the pivotal moment when I realized that – no matter what kind of preparation is done – there are moments that no amount of preparation is enough and it doesn’t change what is unknown. It wasn’t until I read the Three Pillars of Zen by Phillip Kapleau that the unknown staredt to become crystallized for me. The unknown is always a breath away… This is not to say that a degree of prep isn’t important (or prudent) where the unknown is concerned, but gee… panta rei…. Everything changes. Everything. So for me, the only necessary preparation for the unknown is the practise of flexibility and openness… whatever arrives, does.

xo

la