Perhaps it was the fact that we had insisted on keeping our sailing date, even as Hurricane Andrew spun toward us, just 20 hours away. Or perhaps, it was because we had sailed steadily toward an approaching afternoon rainstorm, thinking we could turn back in time. Or maybe it was because the captain of the boat had seemed so calm and confident. At what point does judgment turn sour?
In any event, we found ourselves slamming over whitecaps at 20 knots, propelled downwind from the storm which had overtaken us. The unpredictable bursts of wind made steering the 19 foot catamaran a challenge of major proportions. It was one of those times when you realize that as a passenger you have no control whatsoever, and just hang on, hoping the captain is as skilled as he acts.
It was at this point that insight paid a visit.
This boat had no motor and yet we were hurling along at scary speeds. By merely sticking our 20 foot sail in front of a powerful force of nature--an invisible force at that--we found ourselves part of a controlled explosion, clinging to a piece of shrapnel that just happened to be going in the same general direction of our choice.
When our captain was able to align his sail perfectly with the invisible wind, our ride, although fast, smoothed out. During those moments he was unable to adjust to the changing force of nature, our journey became a terrifying roller-coaster ride.
Isn't this what we do when we insist on having things our way, even though life has provided something else instead? We refuse to realign our sails, to channel what life has given us for our benefit. We then blame the resulting stormy ride on life's ill winds, failing to recognize that only our refusal to adjust has created the turbulence we encounter.
We are not able to change the wind. Our role is to adjust our sails, adapt ourselves, to the things that life blows our way.
Back safely on shore, I sat thinking about that for a long time...
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Mike Johnson is an energetic writer & entrepreneur. Learn more about Mike's offerings at www.MikeJohnson.biz