A ship in harbour is safe, but that is not what ship is for

 

The “Ford v Ferrari” movie shows a scene where a customer complains the mechanic about his ailing race car. The real reason for its ailment was due to its slow ride in streets and preservation in garage. For a race car, that amounts to inactivity. This paradox is well explained by the mechanic's emotional reply to the customer. He said, a race car is not supposed to be handled like a passenger's car. Its place is in the tracks and not in the garage!

This scene clearly brings out the truth about the potential, i.e. unless something is used up to its potential, it becomes useless and ailing. This applies not only for a race car or a ship, but also for humans! This essay will explore this phenomenon in depth, further pondering on why to break free of safe harbour and what it takes to do so.

Let the voyage begin!

Destiny awaits outside

Almost everyone believes in destiny. They often equate it to destination. Some call it a dream, some refer to it as ambition, some see it as a duty, while others as a milestone. Whatever the destination is called as, doesn’t matter. What truly matters is the choice to step out of the safe harbour we are provided by our birth, or a template life imposed on us by the society. This choice is what kickstarts our pursuit to destiny. And this pursuit brings out all our potential, expressing our true selves in such a journey. Many legends and greats have demonstrated this!

According to the legend, when the greatest warrior of Greek Mythology, Achilles, was called for war against Troy, he hesitated at first. His mother gave him two choices – To fight for his country and become a martyr, and be remembered forever. Or to forfeit his responsibility, be safe at home, marry, and let his name get forgotten in his family lineage. The moment he chose to set sail towards Troy, leaving his safe harbour, was the moment he truly became the warrior he was meant to be, and rest is legendary!

Besides mythology, even in real world, there is no shortage of such warriors, especially in India. The Prince of Shakya clan, Siddhartha, also had to face such dilemma 2500 years ago. He can either continue his luxurious princely life, or renounce that to walk into the path in search of enlightenment. And his choice to step out of the safe harbour of his kingdom turned him into “the Buddha”, the enlightened one.

Down the history, in mid-19^th century, a young widow who was a trained warrior was made to choose between two options. One wanted her to relinquish her kingdom and go to Kasi Yatra. And the other wanted her to fight for her country as the Queen against British. And her bold choice gave us the great Rani Lakshmi Bai, who we see as the icon of “revolt of 1857” even today.

Similarly, in this modern age, another bold woman had to break her safe harbour of traditional women’s life to achieve what was considered a men's sport back then. She was Mary Kom, our country's living legend, 6-times boxing world champion who redefined women's role in sports.

All these greats had tremendous potential. But their choice to step out of the safe harbour is what brought it outside, inspiring many. Such choice not only forfeits safety, but also breaks the predictability of life because the journey of a ship, despite map and a compass, is always unsure of the obstacles in the path. While the map shows the path to our destination and the compass is our morality, there is a need for something more for the ship to set the sail for the voyage. It is called “the grit” in the face of uncertainty.

Opportunity in uncertainty

While people are aware of the destiny as said before, still, they are unwilling to pursue it. This is simply because in this age of instant results, they lack the grit to face the uncertainty of the journey. This not only deters them from reaching their goal, but also makes them settle for something less than their potential. If the greats mentioned earlier had forfeited their journey due to fear of uncertainty, they would not have been celebrated now.

To endure the uncertainty, it should be viewed as a privilege rather than mere obstacle. “Adversity is a privilege”, as quoted by Alexander Volkanovski who came from 2 consecutive losses and won back his MMA championship title in UFC. He said how the adversity of uncertainty caused by his previous consecutive losses in his MMA journey, made him not only a stronger person in that sport, but also in life. So, it is not always the destination that makes one great. It is the journey that holds the utmost significance in shaping and preparing one for greatness.

“The Alchemist”, a popular novel by Paulo Coelho, also demonstrates the importance of sailing, i.e. journey. The shepherd has to go on a dangerous journey to achieve his dream of finding a treasure. After traveling around the world, encountering numerous weird adventures, he realizes that the treasure was buried, hidden in his home, right where he started. Just like a ship reaching back to its harbour, he came back home for his treasure after his journey.

While people may think that the whole journey is pointless, the author contradicts that thought sharply. If he had searched the safe harbour i.e. his home at the start, he might have been sparred of the dangers of that journey. While he might have got the gold, but he would have missed the real treasure, which is the journey itself!

While the destination here, the gold is just a symbolic treasure. The journey that gave him the experience, resilience, and brought out his true potential, is the true treasure. That kind of wisdom earned from journey is what helps him to handle the responsibilities of his future life. Perhaps, if the author plans to write a sequel for his novel in name of “the Alchemist volume-2”, he might show us how the journey prepared the shepherd to responsibly use his symbolic treasure, the gold, for the welfare of the society without being carried away by its glitters in greed!

We humans, like ships, are not meant to stay safe in the harbour, but to utilize our potential to reach our destiny. And destiny requires a captain to not only muster the courage to take off from the harbour, but also develop the grit to endure the uncertainties of the journey, shedding off all fears. And the journey not only makes one resilient, but also prepares one to handle the gold that is offered by the destination for the welfare of all. While this has been demonstrated by legends and greats throughout the history, now it is our time to make history. Let us leave our harbour, begin our sail to Viksit Bharat!

Share the story of your Voyage in the comments below!