“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”
Abraham Lincoln
Are you ready for what life might bring?
I really like this quote by President Lincoln. The idea is that if you have not put in the time necessary to be prepared, or ‘sharp’, you’re not going to get very far when it’s time to put in the work.
This can apply to so many aspects of our lives; emotionally, physically, or mentally. But I wonder, how many of us are sharpened and ready for an emergency?
We hope it will never come. But if it does…if you are involved in a serious car accident, or workplace violence, or a home invasion…are you prepared?
Are you taking the time to build the skills and the knowledge of what to do in specific emergencies?
Or, when the time comes for you to act, will you freeze up and fail like a dull axe bouncing off a tree?
Personally, I try to take time on a regular basis to “sharpen the axe”. I review my First Responder training annually. I inspect my first aid and trauma kits on a regular basis. I work to keep myself in shape – physically, mentally, and emotionally. I also look for programs and people in my life that can help me on the journey of being better equipped to offer security to my family and friends.
How about you? How do you sharpen the axe?
