Here’s a quote attributed to Benjamin Franklin:

“Happiness is produced not so much by great pieces of good fortune that seldom happen, as by little advantages that occur every day.” I know some adults who are wasting away their lives, and their money, waiting for the day when they’ll “hit it big” in the state lottery. All they think they need is to win a million bucks, and then they’ll be happy. The problem is, of course, that day is highly unlikely ever to happen for them.

Ben Franklin suggests a much surer thing: Grab onto those little advantages that come your way every day. Perhaps it’s your patrol leader offering to teach you some knots you’ll need for Second Class; on the surface it’s not a big thing, but take advantage of the offer—it’ll make you a little bit better Scout than you were before.

By steadily improving your Scoutcraft skills, by working toward the next rank, one requirement at a time, you’ll gradually work yourself into a position in which you’re prepared to go for some of the big things in Scouting— like Philmont or a high-adventure trek.