Quotes about Preparation

As I look back upon my life, I see that every part of it was a preparation for the next. The most trivial of incidents fits into the larger pattern like a mosaic in a preconceived design.

Tomorrow's battle is won during today's practice.

A jaded optimist is someone who expects the worst, but prepares for the best.

The egg of a bird hatches only when the chick within is ready

People only see what they are prepared to see.

You were born to win, but to be a winner, you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win.

Expect the best, plan for the worst, and prepare to be surprised.

I am ready to meet my maker, but whether my maker is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter.

Although prepared for martyrdom, I preferred that it be postponed.

If you have tears, prepare to shed them now. You all do know this mantle: I remember The first time ever Caesar put it on; 'Twas on a summer's evening, in his tent, That day he overcame the Nervii: Look, in this place ran Cassius' dagger through: See what a rent the envious Casca made: Through this the well-beloved Brutus stabb'd; And as he pluck'd his cursed steel away, Mark how the blood of Caesar follow'd it, As rushing out of doors, to be resolved If Brutus so unkindly knock'd, or no; For Brutus, as you know, was Caesar's angel: Judge, O you gods, how dearly Caesar loved him! This was the most unkindest cut of all; For when the noble Caesar saw him stab, Ingratitude, more strong than traitors' arms, Quite vanquish'd him: then burst his mighty heart; And, in his mantle muffling up his face, Even at the base of Pompey's Statua, Which all the while ran blood, great Cæsar fell, O! what a fall was there, my countrymen; Then I, and you, and all of us fell down, Whilst bloody treason flourish'd over us. O! now you weep, and I perceive you feel The dint of pity; these are gracious drops. Kind souls, what, weep you when you but behold Our Caesar's vesture wounded? Look you here, Here is himself, marr'd, as you see, with traitors. . . . . Good friends, sweet friends, let me not stir you up To such a sudden flood of mutiny. They that have done this deed are honourable: What private griefs they have, alas! I know not, That made them do it; they are wise and honourable, And will no doubts with reason answer you. I come not, friends, to steal away your hearts: I am no orator, as Brutus is; But, as you know me all, a plain blunt man, That love my friend. . . . . For I have neither wit, nor words, nor worth, Action , nor utterance, nor power of speech, To stir men's blood; I only speak right on; I tell you that which you yourselves do know.

Be still prepared for death: and death or life shall thereby be the sweeter.

The man who is slipshod and thoughtless in his daily speech, whose vocabulary is a collection of anemic commonplaces, whose repetitions of phrases and extravagance of interjections act but as feeble disguises to his lack of ideas, will never be brilliant on an occasion when he longs to outshine the stars. Living at one's best is constant preparation for instant use.

Soul Gathers Force It is possible, when the future is dim, when our depressed faculties can form no bright ideas of the perfection and happiness of a better world,-it is possible still to cling to the conviction of God's merciful purpose towards His creatures, of His parental goodness even in suffering, still to feel that the path of duty, though trodden with a heavy heart, leads to peace; still to be true to conscience; still to do our work, to resist temptation, to be useful, though with diminished energy, to give up our wills when we cannot rejoice under God's mysterious providence. In this patient, though uncheered obedience, we become prepared for light. The soul gathers force.

A Winner's Blueprint for Achievement BELIEVE while others are doubting. PLAN while others are playing. STUDY while others are sleeping. DECIDE while others are delaying. PREPARE while others are daydreaming. BEGIN while others are procrastinating. WORK while others are wishing. SAVE while others are wasting. LISTEN while others are talking. SMILE while others are frowning. COMMEND while others are criticizing. PERSIST while others are quitting.

It is better to be prepared for an opportunity and not have one than to have an opportunity and not be prepared.

Freedom is an indivisible word. If we want to enjoy it, and fight for it, we must be prepared to extend it or everyone, whether they are rich or poor, whether they agree with us or not, no matter what their race or the color of their skin.

Without order or authority in the spirit of man the free way of life leads through weakness, disorganization, self-indulgence, and moral indifference to the destruction of freedom itself. The tragic ordeal through which the Western world is passing was prepared in the long period of easy liberty, during which men . . . forgot that their freedom was achieved by heroic sacrifice. . . . They forgot that their rights were founded on their duties. . . . They thought it clever to be cynical, enlightened to be unbelieving, and sensible to be soft.

What bitterness could have enveloped them. They could have taken the attitude that the Lord was unjust. They had lived good lives. Why did this have to happen to a boy with such bright prospects? But rather, this was their attitude, in their own words: "We shall be eternally grateful for the thirteen wonderful years that we were privileged to have him in our midst. We know that we are blessed in the knowledge that we are sealed as an eternal family. We know that Carl was preparing to fill a mission. We know that he was prepared for that mission and that he is now filling it." No self-pity here, but rather an attitude of faith and hope and optimism, even under the most trying of circumstances!

Words lead to deeds. . . . They prepare the soul, make it ready, and move it to tenderness.

Be prepared spiritually for things that will interrupt your spirituality . . . at home, at church meetings . . . in any situation.

Be prepared to listen; listen to be prepared

It's easier to prepare and prevent, than to repair and repent.

The best possible preparation for the future is a well lived present.

Teacher's Conference, 1703. Students today depend upon paper too much. They don't know how to write on a slate without getting chalk dust all over themselves. They can't clean a slate properly. What will they do when they run out of paper? Students today can't prepare bark to calculate their problems. They depend upon their slates which are more expensive. What will they do when the slate is dropped and it breaks? They will be unable to write!

Those who have lived a good life do not fear death, but meet it calmly, and even long for it in the face of great suffering. But those who do not have a peaceful conscience, dread death as though life means nothing but physical torment. The challenge is to live our life so that we will be prepared for death when it comes.

Now men say, "I am in no wise prepared for this work, and therefore it cannot be wrought in me," and thus they have an excuse, so that they neither are ready nor in the way to be so. And truly there is no one to blame for this but themselves. For if a man were looking and striving after nothing but to find a preparation in all things, and diligently gave his whole mind to see how he might become prepared; verily God would well prepare him, for God giveth as much care and earnestness and love to the preparing of a man, as to the pouring in of His Spirit when the man is prepared.

The greatest tragedy of life is that, having paid that awful price of suffering "according to the flesh that his bowels might be filled with compassion," and being now prepared to reach down and help us, he is forbidden because we won't let him. We look down instead of up.

The meeting of preparation with opportunity generates the offspring we call luck.

Disclaimer: If anyone disagrees with anything I say, I am quite prepared to not only retract it, but also to deny under oath I ever said it.

We have the right to choose, but, likewise, we have the responsibility to choose. We cannot be neutral. There is no middle ground. The Lord knows this; Lucifer knows this. So there is a great campaign being waged today. On the one hand, Lucifer has attractively painted his road signs. You have read them; you have seen them. They are bright; they are attractive. They read something like this: "Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die." Another may read: "It's the popular thing to do." Another one may read: "Just this once won't matter." On the other hand, the Lord has prepared His road signs for our guidance. They read: "Fear God and keep his commandments." See II Kings 17:36-39. Another one may read: "As ye sow, so shall ye reap." See Galatians 6:7. Another one: "There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated- And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated." (D&C 130:20-21) Thus we have two roads to follow, and we have the responsibility to choose.