A young software engineer, just beginning their career, expressed concern about the rise of AI—fearing it would eventually take their job. Similarly, an experienced professional with 15 years in the industry was shocked to see how rapidly AI is reshaping their world. Both felt threatened, both were unsettled.
What surprised me most was not their fear, but their lack of preparedness. A simple question comes to mind: if you could not even foresee the transformation of the very job where you’ve spent nearly half your life, what are the chances you’ll be ready for the unexpected challenges life may throw at you?
Being prepared for life is not about predicting every external change—because that’s nearly impossible. It is about not being shocked when the world evolves. For many things, readiness is in your own hands. We often lack depth in our chosen fields. If they had truly followed how technology was evolving, it was clear that automation would eventually replace even complex jobs. It started with the simplest roles decades ago—factory workers, then bank tellers, then customer service, and now even programmers.
The second reason for surprise is a lack of living it fully. When you show up at your job every day but choose not to give it your best, not to learn deeply, not to live it with full engagement—you create fragility. Whether you delay growth for “another day” or disengage altogether, even the smallest change will shake you.
Letting boredom rule your life is dangerous. Either make it interesting—or let it go.
We expect a lot from life. Be careful here, because expectation is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it allows us to live peacefully—we expect food to give us energy, water to quench thirst, a workout to strengthen the body. Life would feel meaningless without such expectations.
But too much expectation, especially from others, is a trap. It harms both you and them. Still, this should not stop you from doing good for others. A healthy expectation is when the young professional focuses less on what they will get from a job and more on what they can give to it. A harmful expectation is when they see the job only as a path to wealth. The outcome is never fully in your control; the input always is.
Expect from yourself—within reason—but not from the outside world. At the same time, do good selflessly. This alone removes so much weight from your chest. With fewer expectations and more contribution, life begins to give back in unexpected ways. That is where peace lies.
The art of preparing for life starts in childhood. Kids should be taught about broken promises, about giving, about humility. The essence of life is not in things—it’s in the process. Make finding the right process your challenge, not chasing the outcome.
Go to college because you want to learn, not just to secure a job. Work in a job because you want to make an impact, not just earn money. Pursue a hobby because you want to build a dynamic personality, not because of peer pressure. Doing the right things for the right reasons is the number-one way to prepare for life. It is the only way to avoid being surprised.
Preparation, then, is less about control and more about awareness. Life will always remain uncertain, shifting like sand under your feet. The question is not whether you can predict the change, but whether you can walk with it gracefully. To prepare is to cultivate humility before the unknown, to embrace impermanence without fear, and to remain rooted in the process rather than the outcome. This is where true readiness lies.
Try this: Take a few minutes today to reflect. Write down one expectation you can let go of—and one process you can commit to living more fully. Small shifts like these are the first steps toward being truly prepared for life.
