“A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor” – Let’s take a look at the phrase once more. What is the significance of this at all? When you’re out at sea, and the water is quiet and flat (which is a lovely sight from the flight deck of an aircraft carrier), you can truly feel the peace, and the enormous ocean of life that lies ahead of you is a beautiful thing to witness. Because the sun is out and beaming, the atmosphere is calm and pleasant, and there is no genuine need for exceptional expertise. You can cruise through it and take in its entire splendor.
“You can never cross the ocean standing on the side of the shore. You can never fulfill your dream until you start working on it.”
There is nothing magical or remarkable about this quotation, and repeating it in your brain will not cause anything to happen or change anything. Still, it does have power in times of trials and tribulations, and if you believe in yourself, you will be able to go through them successfully.
The remark by Franklin D. Roosevelt, “a smooth sea never made a skilled sailor,” is one of my all-time favorite quotes. Not because I served in the United States Navy for more than two decades, but rather because it holds a deep meaning for me. While seemingly basic, I believe that this quote is profound and meaningful and that it should be included in everyone’s collection of favorite quotes.
When the waters are calm, and you are steaming along at full speed, this might represent a time in your life when everything is going perfectly. There is nothing better than achieving good grades, working long hours, spending quality time with family and friends, and living a happy life at the moment. When everything is working well, there isn’t much expertise required.
“You Attract What You Are, Not What You Want If You Want Great, Then Be Great”
It is nighttime, and a storm is approaching; the wind is blowing, creating large waves, and the water splashes over the boat, making it difficult to see or move around on board. Because the sky is becoming darker, it is more difficult to see the problems ahead. The rain has finally arrived! It is now considerably more difficult to see or sense the correct direction. With no sense of direction and being tossed around between the waves, you’ve lost your way now.
Inexperienced sailors must learn the skills on hand required to attempt to overcome the crisis. It is also necessary for experienced sailors to draw on their skills and experience from previous storms to help them through the current scenario. We want to take it as a challenge because challenges make us stronger. We can think of this as a period in our lives when things aren’t going so well for us. Something or a series of events is taking place in our lives that put our abilities to the test and force us to work harder.
“Accept the challenges so that you can feel exhilaration of victory.”
My regard for my Rescue operation Instructors has grown due to their efforts to make the final practical as difficult as humanly possible. We must go through challenges for success. There are sides and even a bottom that you can reach out and touch in a pool. In the open ocean, neither is within your grasp, and you’d better put some of your acquired talents to use if you want to make it back to the ship on schedule. Rescue operations in a Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat (RHIB) at 2 a.m. in choppy seas while a 90,000-ton boat is being moved around may be extremely dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing and you don’t have the proper equipment.
This saying is also one of my favorites because I believe God creates a balance of smooth and rough seas in our life to enable us to stay close to Him while also being able to help those in trouble by teaching us a lesson. When the waters are quiet, we thank God for the miracle and spread the good news to everyone. When the going gets tough, we have no choice but to put our trust in God and rely on the talents we’ve learned over the years to get us through.
In times of difficulty, we develop in our faith (though we may doubt it). We set in experience, maturity and our relationships with others. We also learn and grow in ourselves. These factors contribute to our development into the person we were meant to be. If we are tested and put in situations, I believe it is so that when we discover someone or when God positions us in someone’s life that is going through the same or a similar situation, we will assist them.
“Challenge yourself every day to do batter and be batter. Remember, growth start with decisions to move beyond your present circumstances.”
The martial artist Bruce Lee famously remarked, “Don’t pray for an easy life; instead, pray for the ability to bear a challenging life.” Overall, we must embrace both the days when the seas are calm and when the seas are turbulent to become well-rounded sailors.
“Failure is part of life. If you don’t fail, you don’t learn. If you don’t learn you will never change.”
One of the best ways to learn how to deal with adversity and succeed in any pursuit is via failure. Failing is an opportunity to learn and grow and should be considered a step toward success. I believe it should be regarded as an opportunity for personal growth. We must ensure that our failures are not wasted and that the lessons acquired can be applied to future circumstances at the same time.
As long as you put your heart and soul into it, you can succeed. A powerful man isn’t staging a show here. If you want it, you’re going to have to run for it. Don’t put yourself in a position where you’ll lose sight of your incredible achievements and success if you want to achieve success or perfection.
