This is one of those motivational, awesome life advice kind of quotes one usually comes across. While some people roll their eyes when they see overly enthusiastic quotes such as this, sometimes it is necessary to stop and reflect as to what it actually is offering and can one make his/her life better because of it?

A ship is meant to sail in the seas. It doesn’t matter if it is sunny and quiet or stormy and life threatening. The job of a ship is to transport cargo (and people in olden times) from point A to point B which wouldn’t be possible (or at least economically feasible) by air transport. As such, if a ship is only kept docked in the harbour, keeping it safe from all the harsh realities of the sea, how can one know the true mettle of the said ship.

Drawing a parallel to humans and their crazy daily lives, this quote holds true, at least in my opinion. One can’t sit in the comforts of their home and expect good things to happen. They need to get out of their comfort zone, get out there in the real world and face the challenges of life.

Of course, other people will try to pull you down. If you work in an office, the dirty politics there might stop you from getting that well deserved promotion. If you’re preparing for competitive exams, reservation will make sure a less deserving candidate will get the seat. If you love another person, it might turn out that they don’t love you back and you suffer a heartbreak. These are just some of the proverbial storms your ship needs to weather in order to reach that exotic port of success and self fulfillment. If not anything, at least these things will give you great tales to tell over the bar counter, as seasoned sailors often do.

On the other hand, even the most rugged ships need to dock in the harbour for a while and get much needed repairs. As such, even a person doesn’t need to be always out of their comfort zone and be a bit uncomfortable, on the edge all the time. A balance is always required. Sometimes, all one needs is to relax for a while, be comfortable and enjoy life. Hence, in essence, the aforementioned quote shows both sides of the coin.

In conclusion, on the surface, the quote seems to be an overly enthusiastic life advice, but if one digs deeper, it is found that it explores the balance of life, by using the sea life as a beautiful metaphor.

What do you think of this quote? Do you step out of your comfort zone often? Let me know in the comments section below.

Much love,

–SG