“A Ship in Harbor is Safe, but that is not what ships are built for”.
John Augustus Shedd
This is most likely the quote that motivates me the most to leave and hit the road. Also mentioned by Paulo Coelho in his renowned books, it is a clear and firm call to get out of your Comfort Zone. John Augustus pushes you to leave the certain for the uncertain, to sail out of the port that makes you feel protected (but which, you may find a little boring), and cruise towards the unknown.
Are You going to get hurt? Maybe.
Are You going to get in trouble? Likely.
Will you end up getting lost? Yes. And looking back, it would seem hilarious.
Will you be able to go back at any time? Yes, but you’re not going to be the same anymore.
Because boats are such beautiful objects, but they are not designed to remain docked. Just like the fish in your bowl aquarium, or like a hunting dog in a studio downtown.
But what did John Augustus meant by “harbor”? You know the answer.
Family, friends, acquaintances, your favorite food, your daily job, your routines, and habits… Anything which makes you feel safe, but also your everyday duties. As the job which pays for your bills, but… for what else?
Don’t worry, they won’t go anywhere (ok, you’ll likely need to find another job when you came back…). They’ll be there waiting for you when you get back, if there will still be room on board for them after your journey, because you often come back a little more selective than you used to be.
But don’t think only about crazy adventures, You could simply end up getting involved in some unusual situations. Like being invited to take a boat ride on a boat that is not in the harbor, but has to be dropped with a van, which gets submerged by half…
The Courage to Take Risks
I recently read the book “Screw it, let’s do it” by Richard Branson, founder of Virgin. In the book, he tells how, after becoming a successful entrepreneur and a family man, he kept embarking on life-threatening adventures such as: crossing the Atlantic by boat first, and on an unpowered Rozière balloon afterward. Once you find that thrill inside of you, it’s hard to just lose it, it’s a lifelong sentence.
Sometimes, you will have to keep in mind that that’s a positive thrill to have. Because every time you go back to your port, you will have to also deal with those who never tried to leave that port and strive to just stay there, so they could possibly not understand your drive.
Also, for this reason, I ended up getting that book (“Screw it, let’s do it” by Richard Branson), and this is the reason for having a section of the blog dedicated to motivational quotes. To inspire you.
You can find “Screw it, let’s do it” by following the link, have a nice trip!
Ps: If you drop your job and you spend all of your savings having a great time around the world (or not), don’t even think about suing me afterward. Thanks! Ahah!
Credits:
The cover picture of the boat behind a window is by Charlie Harutaka the other one is mine.
