“We are all inventors, each sailing out on a voyage of discovery, guided each by a private chart, of which there is no duplicate. The world is all gates, all opportunities.” This is a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson and I find it to be both insightful and accurate.

My husband and I took a sailing course a few years back. We spent a week aboard a 37’ cutter-rigged sloop. There we learned the basics of sailing as well as a few of the finer points. Learning to sail reveals a great deal about one’s character, as sailing requires skill, knowledge, teamwork, self-sufficiency and the ability to remain calm in a crisis. Preparation is an absolute necessity when sailing and navigation is a part of this, which brings us back to by Mr. Emerson.

If you are planning a trip by sea, you need to chart your course. To do so, you need a navigational chart with a compass rose and a parallel ruler. You begin by plotting a chart line on the chart. You then place your parallel ruler so that one part lies along the plotted line and the other part lies over the compass rose on the chart. This indicates the compass heading you will need to follow to reach your destination. The chart also shows you things you will need to be aware of such as shallow water, shipwrecks, obstructions, buoys, and channel markers. Now that you know the course you’ll be following and where some potential obstacles might be, you can begin your journey. You simply need to use the boat’s compass to keep you on course.

Good sailors never begin a journey without the proper navigational tools. They need a chart, a compass, a GPS, a sextant for celestial navigation, or any combination of the above.

Are you sailing out on a voyage of discovery and opportunities, or are you sailing around in circles? If you’re on a journey with no real direction, perhaps it’s because you haven’t taken the time to chart your course. Begin thinking about the where you want to go in life and what is required to get there. Make sure you have all the tools you need to begin your journey.

Keep in mind, just as a sailboat doesn’t travel in a straight line, neither will you. Since a sailboat uses its sails and wind power, it must tack back and forth constantly veering off and back on course. Storms can arise which might require a temporary change of plans.

You may also experience unforeseen circumstances in your life but the thing to remember is that you can always get back on course. This isn’t a race, it’s a journey.

The great thing is that your world is full of opportunities just waiting to be discovered. If you take the time to chart a course and make corrections when necessary, you can enjoy a magical journey that can take you anywhere imaginable.