One of the aims of Stay Cool and Sail is to promote sailing as a means to "...shed what is not for now." In these times, when the planet is telling us something, we might think of what “to shed” in our lives.
I love the word "shed". Of course there is the noun, which is the small hut in the garden where we either store what we don't want in the house anymore or where we escape the routine of family life with the alibi of having to mend a bicycle or something deemed vital for the future of the family! Then, only when we finally move house, do we say: " ...who put all that junk here? We should have thrown it all away at the time and not dumped it all in the shed." So, the shed is only a partial escape from reality which will eventually hit us back in the face. The shed is holding us back. Just like the excessive trash we generate on the planet,... but I won't get into that now.
However, the verb "to shed" resonates closely to nature. Its reminiscent of furry animals who lose their fur every spring and autumn, naturally adapting their coat to the coming season. A natural cycle in which waste is organically transformed or recycled by other species, like birds to build their nests. Seasons are the best reminders of the constant need for change and adaptation. They imply movement, lightness and faith.
This raises the question of what we believe in, and how we adapt to change. Do we store, in fear of losing what we might have had, or do we shed in order to be light and fit for the present and the future ? Times like these, when we are all confined at home (and sometimes forced to spend more time than ever with our families !) are a great opportunity to think about our real values, away from the peer pressures of social comparisons. To empty the shed of our habits, to make space and resonate with our personal values and to better ourselves unselfishly and attempt to live up to them. “To Shed for the future”.
If you're looking for inspiration or questions to reconnect with your core values, I can recommend a good book by Mark Manson - The Subtle Art of not Giving a F*ck - and why not indulge… on a sail boat !
In the meantime, Stay Cool and Safe !
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