Kay:
Hey there Questers and welcome back. It’s February 23rd, and this is episode 297. We have a Malcolm X quote for you guys today that you are going to love as we continue our series here in Black History Month.
Shi:
He says to us, “The future belongs to those who prepare for it today.”
Shi:
If you don’t know much about Malcolm X, he was really a very prominent civil rights activist figure and spent a lot of time as this very vocal spokesman. He actually was an African-American Muslim minister and human rights, activist. So, lots of notoriety here, clearly a futuristic thinker, and this quote today really points at that.
Kay:
Well, I think that it’s our other dear mentor and former client John Maxwell who says that you either plan to prepare or you prepare to fail. So, really having this preparation mindset when the opportunity comes, if you’re not ready for it, the opportunity will pass you by. In fact, our business partner Joseph McClendon put on his Instagram a couple of weeks ago, he said, “Once in a lifetime opportunities come by about every other week, if you are prepared to act on them.”
Shi:
Prepared, yes and once the opportunity comes, if you aren’t prepared, you can’t prepare instantaneously. Joseph also talks about this idea that your past equals your present results. So, what you’ve done in the past, what actions and activity equal where you are now, the good and the bad. Don’t just look at the bad stuff and say, it’s my fault. Look at all the good stuff that you’ve done, that you’ve created, that you’ve manifested, that you’ve achieved, that you’ve attracted, that you’ve done successfully, and know that you’ve created that because what you’ve done in the past equals what you’ve achieved and are sitting in now. Now, for those things that you don’t necessarily love, this is also really empowering because it means that what you do presently, the activity that you do presently will equal your future results because if the past equals now, then now equals the future because you’re in your futures past right at this very present moment. That’s what’s so special about it. It can be a turning point at any moment. So, this, “future belongs to those who prepare for it today,” is another way of thinking about this and that moment really being the present, what actions are you going to take?
Kay:
That was a lot of future, past and present.
Shi:
Come on, you guys rode the wave with me. You’ve got this.
Kay:
Oh, it was a good wave. I’m into that wave and I think that you’re really smart to bring that in, in that if you might think and hear a quote like this and say, well, I got it. It means that I got to do better today. But look at your life today, really look at it. Are you happy? Are you healthy? Are you emotionally free? Are you financially free? Where are you in your life right at this moment? If there’s an area of your life, you’re like, ah, I think that could use some improvement then that’s your opportunity to start preparing for the future today. Because in three weeks, five weeks, three months, five years from now, you’re going to find that you started this path today and it led you to a better future tomorrow. If maybe you think that’s a little silly and esoteric look around you, and if there’s anything you don’t like take accountability for the fact that that’s because you didn’t prepare for it yesterday.
Shi:
You know, another way to look at this as well as to think about that: what is the future? What are you telling the future that you are prepared for? The example, I think, that gets used in the secret is if you say, okay, well, I want to manifest this partner in my life. Do you start sleeping on one side of the bed? Are you preparing for the future that you want? Are you starting to take the actions that that person would take? Another practical application of this is really preparing for your future as in tomorrow. Do you go to bed with the next day planned out or all of your boxes checked, or your laundry folded? Whatever your standard is, your area is, how are you preparing for that very real future of the next morning right here in today before you go to bed?
Kay:
I was struggling at the beginning of 2020 in remembering all of the meetings that we had on our calendar. Shila and I have a very busy schedule. As I’m sure you can imagine being both entrepreneurs and moms and enthusiasts of fitness, and music and all kinds of things. But I was having trouble actually remembering that we had meetings and then showing up to them, especially if they were early in the morning. So, Shila helped me put in a preparation practice where right before I go to sleep at night, I just check my Google calendar to see what my list looks like for the next day so that I’m mentally prepared for what’s happening the next day. I tell you, since I’ve started that practice, I have yet to miss a meeting.
Shi:
It’s true and it’s such a helpful, easy one. It takes less than a minute. Alright, to remind you what Malcolm X told us today, “The future belongs to those who prepare for it today.”
Kay:
Alrighty, gang, that means today, you’ve got a Preparation Quest. We want you to prepare for your future by taking action. Any action today toward a result that you want to see happen in your life tomorrow or maybe in a few weeks from now. Are you ready?
Kay & Shi:
Let’s quest!