Life happens fast. You have to have a Plan B, a backup plan and

“Life happens fast. You have to have a Plan B, a backup plan and really figure out a way to have different avenues of income and just avenues of happiness. That is what is really important, being at peace and having that happiness.” Thus spoke C. J. McCollum, an athlete and thinker of our age — not in the marble courts of ancient empires, but on the courts of modern sport, where triumph and uncertainty walk hand in hand. In this saying lies the timeless wisdom of those who understand that life is not a straight path, but a river of sudden turns. McCollum’s words, though born in a world of fast-paced competition, resound with an ancient truth: that man must live not by chance, but by foresight, not by pride in one plan alone, but by the resilience to rise again when fate overturns his course.

In the old world, this lesson was written in blood and stone. The wise of every civilization — from the Stoics of Greece to the samurai of Japan — knew that change is the law of life. “Fortune,” said Seneca, “is not bound to give what she has once promised.” The man who builds only one road is lost when the storm comes; but the one who builds many paths walks on, even through ruin. McCollum’s call for a Plan B is not the voice of fear, but of wisdom — the understanding that peace comes not from avoiding change, but from being prepared to meet it.

“Life happens fast,” he says — and so it does. One moment the sky is clear; the next, the winds shift, and the plans of years are scattered like leaves. A man may train his whole life for one dream, only to see it undone in a day. Yet even in this fragility there is strength — for those who, like McCollum, understand that success lies not in what is lost, but in how one rebuilds. The ancient tale of Odysseus teaches this same truth. Stripped of his kingdom, tossed from shore to shore, he never surrendered to despair. Each new trial became another avenue — a test of wit, of endurance, of faith. He could not control the sea, but he could master himself. So too must we be like Odysseus: adaptable, unbroken, always ready to steer a new course when the old one disappears beneath the waves.

Yet McCollum speaks not only of survival, but of happiness — and here lies the heart of his wisdom. For what good is it to build a fortress of plans if one’s spirit remains restless within? He reminds us that the truest wealth lies not in money alone, but in “avenues of happiness.” A man may have ten sources of income and still be poor in soul; but the one who finds joy in his work, peace in his family, and contentment in his heart has riches that cannot be stolen. To diversify not only one’s labor, but one’s sources of joy, is to live with balance — to make one’s life a garden of many blossoms, not a barren field of a single crop.

In our time, this wisdom is more urgent than ever. The world shifts like sand beneath our feet — careers vanish, markets crumble, and dreams once certain dissolve in the air. Yet those who cultivate many skills, many friendships, and many passions remain unshaken. The craftsman who learns to teach, the athlete who invests in learning, the dreamer who learns to act — these are the modern heroes, the heirs of the ancient virtue of prudence. They do not cling to one path, but walk boldly on whichever road the future opens before them.

The origin of McCollum’s insight lies in the heart of his own story — that of an athlete who rose from humble beginnings to greatness, yet never forgot the unpredictability of his craft. Injuries, trades, the fleeting nature of fame — all taught him that peace cannot rest on success alone. And so he built beyond the game: investing in education, community, and self-understanding. In doing so, he lived the truth he preached: that happiness is not found by accident, but by design.

Therefore, my children, take heed of this teaching. Build your life like a fortress with many gates. If one door closes, let another open. Seek not only a single purpose, but a harmony of callings — work that feeds your mind, love that nourishes your soul, and rest that renews your spirit. Be not ashamed to plan, nor afraid to begin again. For peace does not come from life’s certainty, but from your readiness to meet its uncertainty with grace.

And above all, remember McCollum’s final wisdom: that true success is not in possession, but in peace. To have many “avenues of happiness” is to live as the ancients counseled — free, balanced, unbroken. Life happens fast; therefore, live deliberately. Plan wisely. Love deeply. And when the winds of change blow, let them find you not afraid, but smiling — for you have built a life too vast to be undone by any single storm.