When I am not in the clinic one of my favourite places to be is on my sailboat boat exploring the beautiful waters of the southern gulf islands.
I have sailed off and on for much of my life, although there have been many gap years as a result of running a business and raising a family. Two years ago I decided it was time to start looking for a boat again. One of the experiences that compelled me to go ahead with my plan was meeting the people who were selling their boats. Two in particular stood out to me. One was a couple who had spent their life sailing the seas together, and the other was the person I purchased my boat from. Both had reached the age where their bodies would no longer cooperate with the requirements of sailing – jumping here and there, pulling lines, climbing in and out of undersize awkward sleeping quarters. Meeting them was humbling for me, partly because in that moment I realized that I was not that far from their current life station.
Witnessing them struggle to get on and off the boat made me realize that if I wanted to fulfill this long time dream of mine that I had better get going. So I did, two years ago I made an offer on that sailboat and found a partner to share the cost and ownership of the boat. Now whenever I am able I love nothing more than casting off and sailing to various destinations all within a few hours sail from here.
Over the past few seasons I have noticed a few things. One is that I love the contrast between the immense calm and quiet, combined with the challenge of going from point a. to point b. Unlike driving a car, when you depart from your parking spot there is a lot to pay attention to – rocks you cannot see, tides and currents that may challenge the direction you are headed, and unexpected winds that can come and go as quickly as rounding the next point of land. I am never bored on my sailboat. On the contrary I often have the feeling that I am the luckiest person on the planet in those moments.
Last week during our holiday time I was sailing back from Genoa Bay with a brisk steady wind. I was averaging about 5 knots. That pace somewhere in-between a walk and a run. Travelling at that speed provides an amazing experience with time, especially when compared to the speed of a car. Time slows down. At that speed you can really reflect on where you have been and where you are going. Life begins to slow down to a more human pace, perhaps even a more natural pace.
I feel very grateful to the retired sailors who inspired me to take the leap. They helped me realize the importance of following a dream and also helped me see that dreams are often more easily attainable than we realize. Drawing inspiration from others can play a key role in fulfilling our dreams and visions.
If you have an hidden desire to create, explore, or experience something, I encourage you to hold on to that dream – to cultivate it. That dream is part of the unique expression that is you and therefor important to the rest of us as well. For as we live out our own dreams and visions we inspire one another to do the same.