May 13


A ship in harbor is
safe-- but that is not
what ships are for.

John A. Shedd

  

Today's Meditation:

I very often want to stay in the harbor.  Harbors are very attractive places-- smooth waters, protection from the elements, few risks.  When we're anchored in a harbor, we have a very good idea of what's coming tomorrow and the next day, and our lives aren't tinted with uncertainty.  We have fewer worries about the unknown-- after all, when we're out at sea, we never know when the next storm is going to come and cause our ship to sink.  While most storms don't actually sink most ships, we all know of those that have been sunk at great loss.

But if I allow my life to be defined by the confines of a harbor, and if I seek out safety at all costs, then I have to ask myself just what I'll be accomplishing in life.  If I do the same things day after day, will I ever be able to reach any of my dreams or fulfill any of my ambitions?  Just as ships are made for the journey from port to port-- not for staying in port-- our lives are made for the journey that will take us through challenges and obstacles, and not for hiding away in our homes avoiding anything that might remotely be called dangerous or threatening.

I don't seek out troubles.  But I also don't want to avoid going after goals and dreams just because troubles may be there-- it's also possible that they may not be.  And even if they are, then I'll deal with the troubles when they arise, and not spend my time worrying about what storms may be brewing over the horizon-- there's just as good a chance that there may be clear skies and a strong breeze over that horizon.

Life is, after all, full of unknowns.  Safety is tempting, but so is chocolate, and we don't go around eating chocolate all day every day.  There are times when safety is important for us, and we should recognize and honor those times, but mostly life is made for living out loud and doing our best to reach our goals and fulfill our dreams, and those dreams rarely lie in the safety of our current harbor.

Questions to consider:

Why is safety so attractive to us?  What draws us to it?

What kinds of adventures may lie out on the open sea for you?  Would life be different if you were to take risks? 

What's the difference between a risk worth taking and a foolish risk?

For further thought:

Security is mostly a superstition.  It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of people as a whole experience it.  Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. . . . Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.

Helen Keller

more thoughts and ideas on safety

  

   

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