Are You Equipped?
Do you feel equipped for your life? Do you just take what comes your way and deal with it as it happens? Or do you anticipate opportunities or hardships and prepare for them? What does being equipped mean?
By definition equipped means “made ready, fit or suitable beforehand,” “armed”—I like to think of this one as in “protection or armor”— “to supply with necessary tools or provisions,” “having the qualities necessary for performance” and, lastly, “qualified.”
“Whatever you were born to do, you were equipped to do it. You are a whole equipment for success!” — Israelmore Ayivor
Recent life events brought several opportunities that found me questioning many things. Was I asking the right questions? Was I trusting what I knew to be true even in the face of bold, suggestive evidence? Was I doing all I could? Was I making a difference, or just being a nuisance? After many conversations with a friend (the kind where they listen and let you work your thoughts out verbally) lamenting over the trials I’d been facing, it occurred to me that I was equipped to handle all the difficulty I was being faced with. I was equipped because I’d studied, practiced, prepared for and walked through other challenges in my life. Each one was a stepping stone toward more experience, knowledge, wisdom and less fear and uncertainty. I rely heavily on a divine presence that guards, governs and guides everything that I do. Sometimes we need to be reminded, in case we’ve forgotten, of what we already know.
“God doesn’t call the equipped, He equips the called.” — Neal A. Maxwell, referencing 2 Corinthians 3:5
During this recent difficult time I heard lots of medical statements that we hear all the time and just accept. I gave pause to several suggestions being laid out, designed to bring comfort to my loved one who was dealing with an intense physical issue. My role was of support, comfort and advocate. But I wanted to elevate my consciousness to a higher ground. I didn’t feel I would best serve this individual if I stayed in the realm of uncertainty and fear. Each time I heard a phrase designed to offer help from a medical perspective, I prayed for a higher thought that would replace it with something less finite—an infinite thought that could be relied on no matter what, where, when, why or how. One phrase was “You have to stay ahead of the pain,” meaning they want to give you pain medication before you actually feel any pain come on, if possible. That is usually easier than trying to get past the pain once you feel it. No one wants to be uncomfortable, let alone be in pain. So, the thought is considerate.
As I desired a higher thought model, though, it occurred to me that I wanted to “get ahead of the fear” and “get ahead of the pain in my thinking.” How can you do this? For me, it was to quiet my mind of all the repetitive medical speculation and concern. It was to replace fearful thoughts with perfect images of this individual as I knew him to be. It was to place my trust in an omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent sense of Love surrounding him, me and all those who were working to see him well. This Love would guard, guide and govern the situation and those involved. Love would ask the right questions, and delineate the information presented and determine the best course of action. The care and compassion shown were mostly remarkable.
“Resilience can only form if we face, and learn how to be better equipped to manage, our problems.” — Jo Frost
Another frequent medical term we often hear is “chronic pain.” I would see this on a poster in the elevator at the hospital. Chronic means continuing for a long time, developing slowly or of long duration and being very serious.
I thought to myself, “What would I like to experience that would be chronic?” JOY!What if we put more attention into having chronic joy, peace and happiness? The more energy we give to something, the more it grows—good or bad. So, why not replace thoughts of dis-ease with thoughts of joy, laughter, peace and love? Sure, you may not feel that way at first, especially if you are stuck in the mire of pain, lack or sorrow.
Let’s go back to the original question. Are you equipped? Being more aware of how you view things, how you absorb all the information constantly being thrown at you, you must be prepared to manage your view of all of it. The more you study, learn, experience and elevate your consciousness, the more you set yourself up to be equipped for the opportunities that come your way—expected or not.
“You have to be there at the right time and you’ve got to be equipped.” — William H. Hastie
One last phrase. What are your vital signs? Obviously these have to do with your bodily functions—temperature, blood pressure and pulse, which determine if you’re healthy. Let’s look instead for vital signs of breath, flow, vitality, alertness, continuity, grace, compassion, kindness, consideration, empathy and quality time. How are your vitals? Remember to give of yourself, and good things will be given to you. Look away from your body and look more into what story your mind is producing. Only then can you change your course by changing your belief.
“Equip yourself for life, not solely for your own benefit, but for the benefit of the whole community.” — John Monash