General Douglas MacArthur achieved about as much as is possible to achieve in the American military. He won the medal of honor, two distinguished service crosses and seven silver stars for his endeavors.
He also played an instrumental role in the Allies winning World War 2, personally accepting the Japanese surrender that marked the end of the conflict.
Besides these accomplishment, he’s also attributed with some killer quotes. This one seems prescient:
“I am concerned for the future of our great nation; not so much because of any threat from without, but because of the insidious forces working from within.”
-General Douglas MacArthur
It’s as though he’d foreseen the events of the last ten years in nations like the USA and the UK, being gradually ripped apart from within. Then again, that he made this statement at some point before his death in 1964 suggests that perhaps not much has changed in the last 60 years? Maybe things weren’t always as rosy back in the ‘good old days’ as we’d like to believe they were?
Too late
Another quote often attributed to MacArthur is the following:
“The history of failure in war can almost be summed up in two words: too late.”
It seems to me that this quote is equally applicable throughout most aspects of life.
When our endeavors fail or we feel cause for regret, it’s often down to us having acted too late. Sure, there may have been outside influences and factors beyond our control. But often if we’d just acted a little sooner maybe things would have worked out for the better.
I’m here today, channeling General MacArthur as I implore you not to wait until it’s too late.
One day…
It’s tempting to think that we’ve got all the time in the world to accomplish our dreams and achieve the things on our bucket-list.
We live with the assumption that tomorrow will follow in much the same way as today has. We take comfort from knowing that there’s always a second chance to do or say things that we didn’t quite get around to today — either because we put them off as unimportant or we simply found it too scary to commit.
The problem is that one day, it will be too late. Tomorrow won’t follow. The next opportunity won’t ever manifest.
One day, it will be the last time we say goodbye to the ones we love.
One day, something will shift within our cells causing us to succumb to the disease that’s been lurking within us.
One day, someone else will have the same million-dollar idea that we had — but they’ll act on it instead of procrastinating as we have.
One day, the stock or cryptocurrency that we’ve been watching with curiosity will start climbing in value, having hit the bottom.
One day, something will change forever — and when it does we’ll have lost our opportunity forever.
We’ll be too late.
Caution versus action
Timing is everything and there’s much to be said for caution — smart people consider reward versus risk before wading in.
General MacArthur knew that most failures — on the battlefield and in life — are a consequence of delaying action out of fear, procrastination or uncertainty.
If we’re too risk-averse and hold-off for too long, it may be too late when we eventually get past whatever force of inertia was holding us back.
The antidote? As soon as we know what needs to be done or have a gut-feeling for what needs to be done, the best solution is to get on and do it.
There’s no use in trying to seize the moment once it’s passed.
There’s limited benefit from taking action when the opportunity is already gone.
There’s little point in preparing for the worst once it has already happened.
There’s no point in closing the stable door after the horse has bolted.
It’s not all about carelessly or thoughtlessly rushing into action; sometimes, it’s about stopping or slowing down before it’s too late.
Like a car speeding towards a cliff edge we need to recognize the dangers ahead of us, and be willing and able to stop or to course correct before it’s too late. Leaving it too late to stop can be just as catastrophic as being too late with starting.
Caution and action must be balanced.
Better late than never?
As the proverb reminds us, the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago — the next best time is now. If you’ve still got the opportunity to get started and to take action, then do it. It may be a case of better late than never.
Being mindful of the dangers of being too late can be a useful prompt when faced with uncertainty or fear that invokes procrastination.
And in the case of some things, there’s never a good reason for being too late:
Don’t put off taking care of your health until tomorrow
Don’t delay in saying “I’m sorry” or “I love you”
Don’t wait before you start investing or preparing for the future
When you know what needs to be done, do it. Don’t wait until it’s too late. Start (or stop) now.
Did you miss the last edition of Cryptocurrently? If so, check it out:
Great piece, thanks Toby