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Welcome back to Thank God It’s Monday!
tl;dr If you are prepared, you can weather any storm.
If you haven’t yet heard the story of the farmhand being prepared for the storm, here it is:
“A young man applied for a job as a farmhand. When the farmer asked for his qualifications, he said, ‘I can sleep through a storm.’
This puzzled the farmer… but he liked the young man. So he hired him.
A few weeks later, the farmer and his wife were awakened in the night by a violent storm ripping through the valley. He leapt out of bed and called for his new hired hand, but the young man was sleeping soundly.
So they quickly began to check things to see if all was secure. They found that the shutters of the farmhouse had been securely fastened. A good supply of logs had been set next to the fireplace.
The farmer and his wife then inspected their property. They found that the farm tools had been placed in the storage shed, safe from the elements. He sees that the bales of wheat had been bound and wrapped in tarpaulins.
The tractor had been moved into its garage. The barn was properly locked tight. Even the animals were calm and had plenty of feed. All was well.
The farmer then understood the meaning of the young man’s words, ‘I can sleep through a storm.’
Because the farmhand did his work loyally and faithfully when the skies were clear, he was prepared for any storm. So when the storm did actually break, he was not concerned or afraid. He could sleep in peace.”
In the northeast, we are accustomed to meteorologists crying wolf. But this snowstorm called their bluff. Two plus feet of snow, 20mph winds, and ice, I am sure breaking records somewhere for something.
Everyone talked about its potential for days leading up to this weekend. Grocery stores were running low on supplies, gas station lines were long, and everyone stocked up on snow salt.
Preparing for the “storm” is not an unfamiliar topic for those in the northeast.
However, when we talk about preparing ourselves for the future, different measures have to be taken for a different kind of storm.
Nothing grinds my gears quite as much as people complaining about how age has impacted their weight, joints, and energy levels. I have found that very few of those who use the adage, “Wait until you get to my age,” have taken the necessary measures to prepare for aging. Usually, it’s those who have taken their health for granted for the first two, three, or four decades and expect their bodies to continue to be resilient without reinforcements.
Just like grocery shopping and getting gas before inclement weather, we must prepare for aging by taking similar precautions.
There is no time too soon or too late to start. Strength training, mindset, nutrition habits, social circle, and aptitude for learning can all be improved daily. It is only those who are too stubborn to change (or make time) who will suffer the storm of aging.
And the choice is always yours to make. No one forces you to prepare for the storms. But the alternative is learning from the suffering of being unprepared.
So what have you done to prepare for this storm? Will you be ready?
If you found some value in this, please share it with a friend you think would enjoy it! And let me know if you’d like to be added to get TGIM.
This week, my podcast recommendation is from Paul Levitin’s Change Made Easy, “Arguing with Reality: Why Acceptance Changes Everything.”
With that, I hope everyone is safe through this winter storm. Stay prepared and stay warm!
Until next time,
Shannon
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