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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.
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