Warriors Sail Out To Sea And Do New Things

“A ship in port is safe; but that is not what ships are built for. Sail out to sea and do new things.”

• – Rear Admiral Grace Hopper

The warrior knows that life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage. When we live with the Warrior’s Edge, we refuse to let fear of the unknown keep us from going out and experiencing all that life has to offer. This lesson was illustrated well in a movie I saw this weekend.

No, it wasn’t a Tough Guy movie. It was a family movie that I went to with my wife and daughter. It was The Croods an animated adventure starring the voices of Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, and Ryan Reynolds. The theme of this prehistoric comedy adventure revolved around setting out to see and do new things rather than staying “safe” in one’s cave. The movie embodied the quote from Rear Admiral Hopper very well, with one little caveat, sometimes the port might not be safe after all. My wife and daughter enjoyed the movie, as did I. It was fun, and I liked the positive message is shared about courage and living life.

Change can be scarey. It takes courage to leave one’s comfort zone to seek out and explore new worlds. (Okay, I’m a Star Trek fan too.) But isn’t Star Trek just taking the above quote to a new sea – space. And isn’t the message clear? To truly experience life, and all the wonders it provides, we must risk and overcome our fears of the unknown. We must live courageously and seek out new adventures and experiences. Not foolhardy or recklessly, but accept those risks that will yield us the rewards we’re after.

Make a goal for yourself right now. Commit to expanding your comfort zone and doing something that will broaden your horizons. Decide right now to do something that you’ve been procrastinating on due to fear of failure or the unknown. Take the first step toward a larger goal today. Get started and let the momentum carry you through to achievement. Commit now and get started right away. Action overcomes apathy, anxiety, and fright.

Rear Admiral Hopper was a naval warrior. His advice was to sail out to see and do new things, because that is how a warrior lives. Each and every one of us can find our Warrior’s Edge and do the same. It doesn’t take the absence of fear, only the courage to feel the fear and do it anyway. So take action now!