Ready?

A rambling explanation of what I have learned lately:
I like to be ready. I like to plan. I like to know what's coming next and I like to know how I am going to handle it. When this is impossible, I get uncomfortable.

In the last month or so, I have realized that life is not about knowing every corner of a situation before you go into it. That is impossible more times than it is possible. Life is about asking questions, figuring it out while you're in it, choosing an option, and sticking to it.

As with any principle, there are exceptions to the rule. I would not stick to something that was inherently harmful even if I had previously chosen it, or I'd like to think I wouldn't. Some situations require preparation and readiness, like a job interview.
Other times, it's totally appropriate to do things on the fly without a lot of planning. I need to recognize those moments and embrace their freedom. If the afternoon plan was to eat lunch alone and watch a movie but then I get an invite to go climb a mountain, it's okay to change things up and go because I don't know what could come of it. Maybe a broken ankle, but also maybe a beautiful view and a great experience. Or both, who knows. Not me if I don't go!

Children like things to be concrete. There is are good guys and bad guys, not ambiguous, troubled heroes. There is right and wrong. It is one or the other and the answer is clear. I hate to tell ya, kid. That's not life. Certainly there is a right and wrong and actions aren't morally ambiguous but I mean that sometimes there's just choices and neither of them is the 'right' one. You just pick one and go with it and hope it doesn't blow up in your face. There is sometimes research you can do and questions you can ask, but after all that is done, you still have to choose. So research. Ask questions. Gather what information you can. Listen to the counsel of others. Pray about it. And then choose.

Pick. Decide. Don't let life pass you by as you wait for the perfect opportunity to jump in. If you stand outside the double dutch ropes forever, you probably won't scrape your knee but you probably won't have any fun either. Take risks to a healthy degree (ie not Hey I bet that I could cross the tracks before the train does) because you don't know what could happen. With less risky things (ie should I go to lunch with that person or not) go ahead and try it (unless they are a murderer or something?) but with more risky things (where to live, what job you want to take, who you want to hang out with forever) do more research and ask more questions and choose more slowly. But you still have to pick. Not picking is picking.

This is your life. You're responsible for your actions, even if your action is to not choose. Life does not begin when your formal education ends, although that might be nice. Life does not begin once you have hit any milestone. It is happening now. Don't miss it. I don't think you can ever be totally ready for something new. Jump in because you might fall flat on your face or you might have a lot of fun or you might fall flat on your face and have a lot of fun. The adventure in life is in the small things.