Respond Don't React

Many of us like to make plans. We make plans for the future and set goals we want to achieve at certain times of our life, such as getting a degree, getting that first pay cheque or getting married. Some of us may have our year planned out by January every year. Only after making bookings, schedules and timetables do we feel comfortable that everything is organized in our lives. Plans are important because they help us define what we need to accomplish. They become the mental to-do list of our life. And when everything goes smoothly, according to plan, we feel a sense of relief and accomplishment. Numerous books on business and strategy emphasize the importance of an 'action plan — steps we need to take to reach that all important goal. Numerous motivational talks also highlight the need foraplan as a key ingredient to success. But things don't always go according to plan. Life throws us many curveballs. Sometimes there is an unexpected pleasant surprise, like a promotion at work or an award from our peers. Or the best surprise —when the Master comes to visit our centre and all our well-laid plans for the day are thrown out the window. Other times it may not be such a positive surprise. It may be an unfore-seen illness, or a sudden tragedy. When this happens, we can be thrown completely off track and lose our sense of balance.