Many consider Bruce Lee as one of the world's greatest martial artists. He created a hybrid martial art called Jeet Kune Do and among his students was Chuck Norris. Part of Bruce Lee's success was an intensive physical fitness regimen that included focus on muscular strength, muscular endurance, cardiovascular endurance and flexibility. Bruce Lee once said, "Do not pray for an easy life; pray for the strength to endure a difficult one." As Scouts, I find this compelling, as we endeavor to Be Prepared. We do not go to an outing hoping for the best -- we prepare ourselves for the chance of the worst. Forecast says sunny skies -- we pack raincoats, waterproof boots and extra socks. Warm weather? We better bring a jacket and gloves just in case. Likewise, when we train, we should do more than we think we will need to do. Want to make a one-mile run easy? Run two miles in training. This reminds me of three quotes from Scouting's founder, Lord Robert Baden-Powell, who said "Be Prepared. Be prepared for what? Why, for any old thing." BP also said, "A Scout is never taken by surprise; he knows exactly what to do when anything unexpected happens." Lastly, he said, "Be Prepared... the meaning of the motto is that a Scout must prepare himself by previous thinking out and practicing how to act on any accident or emergency so that he is never taken by surprise." To this end, I encourage you not to plan for the best, but prepare for the worst and enjoy when conditions play out better than your preparations.
Be Prepared