It’s good to pursue your goals with seriousness but failure to acknowledge the little important things could bring about an unexpected ending. This is why John Lennon said life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.
Life as generally defined as the activities or events that happen between birth and death is very complex and perplexing for so many reasons. Many have tried to single out some of the unpredictable events life bestows on us. One prolific example is John Lennon; he said “life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.”
Have you seen your dreams/plans come to an unexpected ending??? Oh wait, you didn’t watch your back while busy doing what’s on top of your priority list… Let’s try to break it down to the simplest understanding.
Before anything else, let me highlight what brought about this thought-provoking quote from John Lennon. Lennon’s song “Beautiful Boy” from his Album “Double Fantasy” has some lines that say:
“Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.” – John Lennon
This powerful quote is credited to John Lennon and is believed to have been rephrased. We can handle the meaning from several different angles and still point to the reality of life giving us lemons while we’ve already wished for lemonades.
What Is The Meaning Of Life Is What Happens When You Are Busy Making Other Plans?
This quote simply means mankind cannot always tailor his will, plan or wishes into the events of natural laws or certain incidences. If you decide to plan to have a trip to one of the most beautiful places on earth, something else could cancel that grand plan; Perhaps you neglected a small and simple step earlier.
A clear example could be the death of a spouse, close relative, etc, which will definitely cause a change of plan. Taking a look at the scenario here; The things that happen when you are busy making other plans are often unpleasant. This is because it wasn’t part of your thoughts or expectations.
Imagine a parent being too busy with work and failing to take good care of his children. These kids will grow up and become a nuisance to the community —hence bringing shame and pain to the parent. Negligence of the little things we see today could evolve into something shameful and destructive.
In life, we make a lot of plans but things sometimes turn around. If it happens to be pleasant, then I will say you are blessed!
For example, you might feel late at school, work, etc, waiting for a cab to pick you up. Then suddenly a friend shows up in his car to give you a lift. This wasn’t your plan. But surely it came in at the right time to help you.
Everyone must acknowledge the simple fact that natural laws or certain events can’t be manipulated without any consequences. The unexpected could happen at any moment while you are busily putting things together for your pleasure.
Meaning From The Bible
I believe it is very necessary to relate this quote from John Lennon to one or two Bible verses. When we take a look at Proverbs 16, it reads:
“The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD.” (Proverbs 16:1)
In verse 9, we can see almost the same message making us understand that we can’t always have what we plan for. A backdoor could be opened to change the entire meaning, direction or result.
Hey, wait —I haven’t forgotten to quote what the Bible says in verse 9. Take a critical look:
“A man’s heart plans his course, but the LORD directs his steps” (Proverbs 16:9)
This is in perfect relation with Lennon’s quote that says “Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.”
You might create the perfect plan in your own eyes, but any effort you put in to bring things into reality becomes fruitless.
In Biblical sense, we say our prayers but our plans or wishes might not align with God’s will. He is the Supreme ruler of this universe. And He might allow things to happen in your life that would either make you feel highly disappointed or joyful. Don’t lose hope, because God knows best and He will never fail you.
Interestingly, that awful feeling might be a blessing in disguise. It’s better to relax when you put in your best to see things going smoothly in your favor. Also bear in mind that you can’t force certain things to move according to your plan. Understand this simple fact and learn to rely on God, trusting He’s got your back.
The Nightmare Of The Ambitious
Surely, we all have some lofty goals that linger in our minds. Not everything you plan or do will produce the exact result that you want.
Many of us become so ambitious that we work so hard and stay hopeful for good results. But the challenge of failure and delay make us feel anxious, depressed, disappointed and hopeless.
A 4 to 5-year plan or goal might not produce what you have expected. Instead of seeing your dreams come true, other things crop up to cause a delay or distraction. Such disgusting feeling is common to us. But we can handle it by planning again —this time around with diligence.
All these experiences teach us valuable lessons about the unpredictable nature of life. If that is the case, then don’t be over-ambitious about your goals or your own ability to do something. Anything can happen today or tomorrow that might not be in your favor. However, this shouldn’t stop you from planning or dreaming big.
It is advisable to be dynamic and positive when there is a change in life’s direction.
In short, life is full of surprises so don’t be too hard on yourself. Don’t hit your head into a wall if your plans aren’t going on as expected. Stay calm, positive and hopeful because something bigger and better could come your way.
Dealing With Rejection While Other Things Happen
Rejection is a very crucial topic that fits well into John Lennon’s quote about the things that happen in life when you are busy making other plans.
It does happen to everyone. Rejection is one of the disguised blessings in life. You may force yourself into people’s lives but you wouldn’t be welcomed.
Hasn’t anyone told you not to beg to be in places where you are not welcome? If the man or lady of your heart has no love or affection for you —you must be grateful. Save your breath and open your eyes to the path redirecting you to the right person or place. There you would realize other things are happening and in await for you.
Your busyness over certain plans could only make you a “busy body” or “busy for nothing” person. Once again, save your energy and make sure you are moving in the right direction with a purpose.
By assuring yourself of this, the probability of seeing your goals come to fruition is high. However, things can turn around with a very different result which might either taste good or bad for you.
You can’t be 100% certain that all the money, effort and other resources you put into something will produce the desired result. Bear in mind that other things can happen in your favor or against you. That’s life!
In all, your response to all other issues could still bring a positive result to you in the future. Because time changes. It would never rain all the time —the sun will surely shine and put a beautiful smile on your face.