I am not a sail boat person. I wish I was, but that is a hobby that would take far too much commitment. However, I have had to learn my fair amount of boating on the Ocean. Fun phrases that use to be foreign to me are now easily understood. “Port Side”, “Red Right Return”, “Give a Wide Berth” and my personal favorite, “Ship Shape and Bristol Fashion.” One that I have not heard on a boat is the phrase, “Even Keeled.” That is a phrase I hear on land, but not frequently on a vessel.
A keel on any watercraft is really important. It is usually the lowest point on the boat, and without it the boat would not be fun to be in, especially in waves or wind. A flat bottom boat only is really good for bass fishing and drinking unhealthy amounts of beer. Any boat that needs to navigate open waters, requires a sturdy and well positioned keel. The concept of keeping the keel even, would be essentially stopping the boat from rocking back and forth unnecessarily.
As you get better at navigating waters, you start to understand how the keel in your particular boat can be used to your advantage to keep as even as possible. Of course, some rocking back and forth is inevitable, especially in a small vessel. However, having a knowledge of how the water flow will impact your boat based on how it sits in the water is critical for keeping things even and not having to pick up the contents of all your cabinets off the cabin room floor.
When someone tells you to be even keeled, you can start to imagine what the meaning of that phrase is. Effectively telling you to stop going up and down, stop being indecisive, stop jumping around from one thing to the next. An even keeled person is not subject to the whims of a temporary disappointment or emotionally charged situation. A person that is even keeled does not have dramatic times of complete inactivity due to failure, rather they have a consistency which keeps them stable and moving forward at all times.
Basically the exact opposite of me, or at least up until 2017.
Chaos would be the best way to describe my interaction with the world. This is not intentional, I actually intend to be even keeled but what I have learned since January, 2017 is that the reason that I was struggling was that I really had no keel. I was a flat bottom boat in very rough waters. What I needed all along was a strong, sturdy, and rigid keel. Once I had that in place, then I could learn to navigate the choppy waters with the knowledge of the keel of my boat (life).
So what does it take to establish a keel, or at least to have one in place so that you can face the choppy waters of life? In a word, habits. The better the habits, the stronger the keel. However, the most important concept is to actually have a core set of habits that keep you grounded, focused, and maintaining a proper heading toward your destination. As you react and respond to incoming waves, wind, and avoiding obstacles it is important to have a bearing so that you are not easily tossed around.
Take stock. What is your keel? What are your core set of habits? If your life endeavor was boiled down to just your habits, then what is the trajectory of those habits taking you? It is safe to say, that the real trajectory of your life is where your habits are pointed. The temporary and fleeting occasional moments of brilliance you may have will have very little effect on your life in comparison to the constant and steady direction that your habits are taking you. The keel example is relevant. The wind and waves will push your boat in a direction based on how your boat sits in the water, it will take a lot of energy to stop that. Good Captains learn not to fight that, go with the wind and waves and let your keel do the work.
So I am basically telling you that you will ultimately become your habits. So if you do not have conscious control of your habits, you are fighting an overwhelming battle against very strong natural currents. I think you would be better served starting with a core foundation, a firm keel comprised of steady, consistent, and productive habits.
Guy Reams (634)
