Sailing the same sea

We all have heard the saying “We’re all in the same boat.” Now and then a meme will pop up on the social sites claiming, “We aren’t in the same boat. We’re in the same storm. Some have yachts and some have canoes, some are drowning and need your help. Be kind and help when you can.” Nice enough sentiment. We wonder though, why do so many online “motivation memes” stress the negative. We go out of our way with our Monday released Moments of Motivation to celebrate the positive. You can be positive and still find people to treat with kindness and help, and people who want you to be nice and helpful. Let's add some positivity to life.

Consider this: We’re not in the same boat. We’re in the same sea!”  Yes, some have yachts and some have canoes, some are drowning and need your help. Others aren’t drowning. Others are doing pretty well. There will be time when there is no crisis, and there will be times when people want to experience another’s company or share something they have learned. Those are times when people need people too. We all need hep to stay afloat, to stay on course, to not lose sight of the horizon or the navigating stars.

There is more to life than crisis management. We are better at preventing disaster than we are at recovering from it. We often don’t realize that. We wait for the ship to take on water and then shift into hero mode, bailing and manning the lifeboats. It is so much easier to be vigilant of the storms, wary of the icebergs, and aware of the changing winds and tides, and plan accordingly to not be upset by them. Changing direction and shifting waypoints is easier, safer, calmer, and more rational than blundering full steam ahead into “the belly of the beast,” hoping there are others nearby to send out a dingy when you take on more than you can handle.

A naval flotilla typically consists of three to ten ships of the same type, each capable of carrying out identical jobs but assigned different tasks, strengthening their overall capability. Fleets are collections of flotillas with various types of ships performing multiple tasks all on a single mission to maximize their effectiveness.

Those of us on land often do the same. Consider the people at work. Your department has a specific job. The people in the department have similar qualities working with the same job description. Most often are working on their own projects with the aim of contributing to the success of that job. The entire company has diverse departments with unique talents and skills working toward a single company mission. Our schools have educators who are teaching in their specialties, all guiding the students to the same graduation. Even families divide their household tasks so that at the end of the day or the week, we can enjoy our recreation time with each other.

We are like different ships in the same sea, supporting each other, keeping each other on course, everyone watching for hazards or ways to steer around the storm. Sometimes a storm still will happen and we need to pull together and stay safe. Sometimes we just want to share time with family or speak with a friend.

No, we aren’t in the same boat. We are are each in our own boat yet all part of the same sailing club, enjoying the respite of gliding across a calm surface propelled by a gentle wind. And though we aren’t in the same boat, we are all in this together. Even when it’s not storming.

There is more to life than crisis management. We can prevent disaster easier than recover from it.

#lifeLesson #DailyChoice #Prevention #PositiveAttitude #DifferenceMaker #Focus