Rx for Resilience: Sailing
I grew up in the land-locked state of Arizona. I never sailed, played tennis or golf growing up because we couldn’t afford it. Once I became an adult, I became a runner and a cyclist—two sports that don’t require much investment or skill. But, I have always marveled at the people who can do these highly technical and/or competitive sports with the competence and focus required to be at the top of their game.
Sailing is one of those metaphors for me., even from afar. There are so many lessons in preparation, response-time and what can and cannot be controlled like brutal weather and unforgiving winds. The courage that it takes to keep going, to make judgment calls, to keep others safe and to savor the calm, ideal circumstances all apply to our lives and how we lead them.
One of the my favorite songs that helped me get the courage to leave corporate America after seventeen years and start my own business is Garth Brooks, The River. I listened to this song for almost a decade until I could summon the nerve to leave my executive role, title, identity and paycheck to cast out on my own for what I knew I was called to do in starting my own company.
As you think about where you can “sail” in your life, actually or metaphorically, consider how the lessons of that craft, or any that you admire, can help you to achieve the larger things that matter to you in your life now and in the future.
Carol Carter,
Founder and CEO of GlobalMindED
