Note: This articles was originally published on SuccessNet.org in 2003.
Dawn and I love our 34′ Hunter Legend sailboat named “Attitude”.
When Attitude was hauled from the water last fall, I had the marina crew remove her rudder so we could recondition it over the winter. Its fiberglass skin was delaminating some and I wanted to arrest it before it weakened this critical component.
Last week, I went to the shipyard to pick up the rudder. I knew it was big (it stands almost 5 feet even without the rudder post), but I had no idea how HEAVY it was—over 300 pounds.
I shouldn’t have been surprised. After all, it’s responsible for steering over eight tons of fiberglass, steel, aluminum and people through the water. It needs to be strong. I need to trust it to take the strain and endure the pressures placed upon it.
As heavy as it is, it’s still less than 1/50th the size of the vessel it steers. It’s an interesting ratio—a 300-pound rudder guides 53 times its own weight.
It made me think about what steers our lives. What experiences, skills or values allow us to direct our four-score-and-twenty? What’s ‘under the water’ that doesn’t always show, but is absolutely critical to our progress?
I believe our rudder is our values.
We are the captain of our ships (our lives). We choose our destinations (goals). We plan and execute tactical decisions. We use the tools, skills and equipment to the best of our ability. We train, motivate, direct and inspire our team (crew). We need dedication and commitment to take us through the storms as well as the shallows that lie in our way.
When we know what’s really important to us, we can act with confidence and integrity. Understanding and prioritizing our values makes decisions easier. It makes us who we are.
This winter, as I’m rebuilding Attitude’s rudder, I’m also revisiting my values—making sure I’m living my life in alignment with them. As I reinforce, spruce up and polish my boat’s rudder, I’m doing the same thing with my values—making sure they’re clear, properly ordered and STRONG.
I have complete confidence that my “Attitude” will continue to steer me in the directions I want to go for many seasons to come.
If you would like to find out how to discover, prioritize, understand and LIVE your values, I urge you to take the ‘Your Core Values Course’. To find out more about this powerful and life-changing experience, see below . . .
Recommended Resource
How to Discover Your Core Values Course
When You Know Your Core Values, Every Decision You Make is Easier
Take this home-study course at your own pace and discover the values that will determine your success. You can have more purpose, passion and meaning in your life. The course may only take you a few hours to complete yet the rewards that come from it will last a lifetime.
