"A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for" - John A. Shedd
Comfort. Security. Stability. Familiar. We all want our lives to have these things, and yet, we also want to accomplish great things, be extraordinary, experience new and wonderful things. Sometimes we nearly succeed in convincing ourselves that we can have much, but risk little. This simply is not true. Any worthwhile endeavor, any good thing worth the effort it takes to obtain it will have attached to it an element of risk. Finding your true love is amazing, life changing and euphoric yet there is the risk of being hurt or rejected. Discovering your purpose in life is indescribably fulfilling, yet there is the risk of being misunderstood or even unappreciated.
Sail Your Ship!
Using the analogy contained in the quote at the beginning of this article, your life is like a ship. You can anchor your life in the harbor, in the familiar surroundings you've grown accustomed to, and never risk a change of any kind. This is safe, right? The problem is that this is not what the ship (your life) was built for! The ship (your life) was designed to move, to experience new surroundings, arrive at new destinations and all the while making the journey an adventure! If a ship never leaves the harbor it will eventually decay to the point of becoming useless because it wasn't designed to be stagnant. It was designed to sail out of the harbor, bravely entering the vastness of the open sea and all of its possibilities. The same is true of your life and mine.
It's so easy to get "caught up" in life. The bills, the kids, the job, the house, and somewhere, way down at the bottom of our to-do list, we pencil in our dreams. You know what? No one ever gets around to doing the last thing on their to-do list!
Like No Other
If we are to be successful, fulfilled and truly happy we must leave the harbor. Each of us are unique and we each have something no one else does. We're all human with the same basic needs, and heck, we probably even all share the same universal consciousness, but we are still unique! I am different than you and you are different than me! We each have our own viewpoint, interpretation, and thoughts about people and our world. I read something in a book recently that said that "the world needs what we have to offer. If it didn't, we wouldn't be here!" If we stay anchored in the harbor, how can we make a difference in the world?
"Do One Thing Every Day That Scares You" -Eleanor Roosevelt
Are there opportunities for you, right now, that perhaps you've been putting off or avoiding? Are there actions you could be taking that you know would set you on the path to success and fulfillment? Has fear of the unknown, failure or rejection kept you stationary? Has the effort required to sail your life into the sea of possibility kept you anchored in the harbor? This pretty much describes my life for the past several months, but no longer! I've hoisted anchor, my ship is moving toward the open sea. As I stand on the bow, the wind in my face and the salty spray fills the air around me, I am both wonderfully frightened and emboldened for what lies ahead. It is unknown and full of possibility. I embrace the adventure of the journey as much as I will embrace my destination.
I hope to see you out there.....
"He Who Is Brave Is Free" -Seneca
