Monday, September 21, 2009

In proving foresight may be vain

Plans. Goals. They are absolutely necessary, but what happens when they go askew? What happens when on paper your plan looks great - but when reality hits you realize that success does not have a chance. How do you modify your plans when bumps come along the path of life that prevent your plan from working? The German Empire had the Schlieffen Plan in tow. On paper it would have crushed France in 40 days which would theoretically keep England out of the war and allow the German Empire to concentrate on breaking down Russia (which it would eventually do with help from the Bolsheviks). But problems along the way prevented that from happening and the Germans went from a succesful war strategy to trench warfare to losing and getting devastated in the aftermath of "peace." I can resonate with the German Empire. Sometimes I struggle with even thinking plans & goals - because so often life prevents obstacles that I just cannot be prepared for. My plans go to as they say "hell in a hand-basket" so often that I question the point of plans. I get stressed out in making new plans because I fear those to will fall apart. And yet I know that plans do prevail sometimes. So how do you go about making the right plans? And when even the best plans go askew what do you do to keep going on? For now I read Robert Burns and realize even the best schemes...can bring grief & pain.

But Mousie, thou art no thy lane,
In proving foresight may be vain:
The best laid schemes o' mice an' men
Gang aft agley,
An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,
For promis'd joy!

5 comments:

Richard said...

If there is anything that history teaches us, it's that we can't know what the future holds, except that the same old things will happen in new and unanticipated ways.

I love that you think like a history major. The same illustration can be given for France's famous "Maginot Line" in World War II.

ryan said...

So give up all together. never make another plan, goal or dream.

Sure, plans get run over by the enemy and by life HOWEVER, dreamers must have short memories. Without dreamers, I think we would all sit around crying and holding each other.

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