I walk into a dimly lit room. The judges are all in the back, clicking their pens impatiently as they wait for me to begin.

I haven’t prepared. There’s no way I’ll advance to finals, so why should I even try?

I take a deep breath and launch into the worst speech of my life.

“If you fail to prepare, then you should prepare to fail.”

By failing to prepare for that competition, I had already failed before I had even stepped foot in that room. I knew I wouldn’t make the cut that day, and I didn’t.

When it was over, my coach didn’t say a word to me. She knew that this wouldn’t happen again because I had been humiliated by placing last.

Preparedness is a lifestyle, a choice.

Choosing to be ready for whatever you’re asked to do is something few people today can say they have done.

Preparedness goes beyond school work. Putting in extra time with extracurriculars, working harder to maintain important relationships, and saving money are several ways I also seek to be prepared in my life.

Looking back, whenever something challenging comes up, I have always been glad I was prepared in some way so that I wouldn’t have to just cope with it, but to thrive in spite of it. Being prepared is life insurance that money can’t buy.

I had a great aunt who recently lost the battle with cancer. When she was diagnosed the doctors said she didn’t have much time.

Rather than dread what the next few months held, we prepared by enjoying as much of our time with her as we could. When that fateful day finally came, of course it was mournful, but we were more thankful for the extra time we had been able to spend with her in advance.

The true importance of preparedness lies in the quality of life you wish to lead. Being prepared is not easy. It requires extra time, effort, and commitment, but in the end, it is more than worth it.