Roger Meyer

In The Lord of the Rings, British author J.R.R. Tolkien’s fictional hobbits are depicted as living wholesome but complacent lives, oblivious to the world around them. One hobbit, Frodo Baggins, is suddenly caught up in very perilous times, facing great challenges alongside several of his friends. Actor Elijah Wood, who played Frodo Baggins in Peter Jackson’s film adaptations of The Lord of the Rings, later said that complacency is “never a good place to be working from.” It is easy to be complacent when we are comfortable and safe. Are you complacent?

In childhood, we “discovered” many exciting wonders of creation, like flowers, frogs, ants, worms, butterflies, clouds, and snowflakes. Our formal education may have included general science and then branches of science where we discovered intriguing complexity, amazing organization, physical laws, and underlying principles—all of which demand unparalleled intelligence for their origin.

What is your “raison d’être,” your “reason or justification for being or existence”? What is the meaning and purpose of life? These are very important questions to ponder. Since civilization began, humans have contemplated questions about life’s meaning. If you search the Internet for “why we exist” you will get answers like the following:

Readiness and preparedness are important aspects of many endeavors, whether business, military, government, or everyday life and livelihood. Are you ready for the unforeseen things that lie ahead?

We ready ourselves for many everyday things: for work or school, for taking exams, for having company for dinner, for going on trips, or for having a big event like a wedding. Being ready requires work and effort and attending to detailed preparations.