The Sunshine Report Opportunity Favors the Prepared Mind Karen and Jay share thoughts on the importance of preparation and the vital role it plays in achieving success. There will be those rare precious moments in your life when everything suddenly breaks your way. The new job, the new opportunity – whatever it is. Perhaps you’ve dreamed about it all your life. You need to seize the moment. But the question is ‘will you be prepared?’ Will you have done the hard work, day after day, year after year, to put yourself into a position to capitalize on the great fortune that appears on your doorstep? During a lecture in France in the mid 19th century, Louis Pasteur, the renowned French chemist and microbiologist once famously stated, “Chance favors the prepared mind.” Pasteur was speaking of Danish physicist Oersted and the “accidental” way in which he discovered the basic principles of electro-magnetism. The idea being, that when we practice or prepare for something, what may feel like luck or simple chance when we encounter something unexpected, is actually the result of our preparation or consistent practicing. In the world of scientific experimentation, half-knowns are very much the norm. A scientist will conduct a physical experiment in an attempt to prove a genuine hypothesis. When none of the experiments are accurate, the chance of making an accidental discovery tends to grow. However, it’s only with a prepared mind, to Pasteur’s point, that a scientist can not only understand what their experimentation may have accidentally yielded, but also integrate the new accidental discovery within their existing work. While life may often feel like a game of chance, it’s the ‘prepared mind’ that enables us to have a greater chance of success than we would otherwise. Preparation increases the likelihood of success in any endeavor. It allows you to anticipate and overcome obstacles, identify potential risks, and develop strategies to navigate challenges effectively. Whether it's studying for an exam, preparing for a presentation, or training for a sports event, thorough preparation enhances your aptitude and increases your chances of achieving your goals or in some cases going above and beyond them. There’s also something that should be said about how preparation improves our adaptability. Preparation gives us knowledge and awareness about a challenge we face or a task we aim to complete. It ultimately allows us to be pro-active about specific scenarios we may face and react accordingly. Rather than panic in the face of the unpredictable or unknown, it promotes composure.  Two years after Pasteur’s famous statement, saying that “chance favors the prepared mind,” he would happen across a discovery that would change his career. When approached by a colleague who was having difficulties with some fermentation experiments at his beetroot factory, Pasteur agreed to help him by visiting the factory and observe his samples with his microscope. At first, he thought he was only viewing a difference between filtered and un-filtered beetroot, but in fact what he was observing was the difference between healthy and failed fermentation. This discovery would not only lead to manufacturers being able to effectively observe the fermentation of their product, helping them avoid production failures and increase their production capacity, but introduce a whole new field of science: microbiology. And it all came through a little bit of chance and years and years and years - of preparation! Read The Report Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts in NH - "Be Prepared"   Read More Preparedness in Financial Planning: Practical Insights from the Field Read More Positive Profile of the Week: Katrina George This week we are delighted to highlight a leader in wellness, fitness and physical preparedness, Katrina George of HotWorx in Bedford. Katrina has nearly 30 years in the health and wellness space. She has been a personal trainer, life coach, and worked in the medical industry. Her resume speaks for itself and her commitment to helping others achieve physical and mental greatness is a true inspiration. But it's what she and her husband decided to do in 2018, that truly elevated their impact to an entirely higher level. In the fall of 2018, Katrina and her husband Robbie brought the first HotWorx franchise to New England. For those who may not be familiar, HotWorx is a workout facility equipped with infrared saunas which elevate the burning of calories, aid in detoxification, relieves stress, and pain. In essence, it’s a 24-hour fitness studio offering yoga, barre, Pilates, spin classes, HIIT workouts, rowing machines, strength training and much more in their patented infrared saunas. Katrina and her husband did the research and saw a great opportunity not only to bring something new to the area but help bring her wide range of expertise into one place. There are over 300 locations across the United States and Katrina and her husband took the risk and over the past five years have been giving great rewards to the many members that have been coming to their Bedford, New Hampshire Studio. Katrina and Robbie have also parlayed their belief in well-being and support of others beyond their HotWorx world. They are huge supporters of many volunteer and community organizations. I first met them when they joined Karen and myself at our annual NH Supports Children of Fallen Patriots fall event. In addition, Katrina has established a sort of positive wellness network, if you will. She highlights fellow small business owners who work in the health and wellness space. She welcomes them into her studio and actively promotes these opportunities to her loyal members.  Katrina is a true leader. Always determined and forever focused on helping those make a difference for themselves. Her efforts on behalf of her clients have produced remarkable results. And it’s not surprising. She prepares, she plans, she is enthusiastic and most of all, Katrina is committed to the well-being – the physical, mental, and spiritual well-being of her clients. What's in store next for Katrina and her husband Robbie? Only great things for sure. Our wishes for continued success and thank you for all that you do! Quote of the Week "Success is where preparation and opportunity meet." - Bobby Unser     Jay Lucas | www.JayLucas.us  Share This Email Share This Email Share This Email Jay Lucas | 7 Portwalk Pl, Portsmouth, NH 03801 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by [email protected]