In the last days of March, I became obsessed with the mega-container ship, the Ever Given that was blocking the Suez Canal. For more details, here is a link to Amanda Mull’s piece from the Atlantic. In our instant information world, within minutes I could find out how the unsticking operation was going. It was a tasty crisis and a welcome distraction from the inevitable third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Maybe you read about the Suez Canal Crisis of 1956 or listened to the opera, Aida? I learned Aida was not written by Verdi to celebrate the opening of the canal in 1869, although the opera did premiere in Cairo and yes there were camels. Perhaps now you know where Great Bitter Lake is?
There was the incomprehensible magnitude of the ship–a weight of 220,000 tons, the length of one empire state building, a width of nearly 200 feet wide and a capacity of nearly 20,000 containers. I became more aware of the magnitude of global shipping in general. And then all the memes including the stick-your-own-boat app, Ever Given Ever Ywhere.
The financial and geopolitical implications aside, I think this whole event is a valuable metaphor for getting stuck and unstuck in life.
Getting Stuck and Getting Unstuck
Here are some randomly ordered thoughts.
Getting Stuck
Did I really need a bigger boat? Who put all this stuff on my boat? Why did they (me) put all this stuff on my boat?
Should I have said NO? Or even maybe or not-at-the-moment?
What was I going to do with all that stuff anyway? Was I prepared to go this big?
Did I have all the experience I needed?
Did I have all the help I needed? Why didn’t I take the time to find the best help?
Is this the best time to be doing this?
Bad weather usually makes hard things harder.
Getting Unstuck
It happens. Forgive yourself for getting stuck. Keep perspective. This stick-your-own-boat image of the boat in Lambert Channel between Denman and Hornby Islands is not to scale. The vessel is much smaller than this and your problem might be too.
Get help. Get good help. Build a team. Work with your team. (and a team of friends and mentors is important to help you keep perspective)
Focus on the small changes that can make a big difference. (think of the brave little digger photos)
Celebrate the small changes. (honk your horn)
Stay curious and stay creative.
Unburden yourself from what you do not need to carry. (cast off unnecessary ballast and cargo)
Believe it or not, there are other people that can successfully replace you in some of the jobs your are doing now. Let them have a go so you can focus on what you need to be doing now.
Prepare to feel unstable as you unburden yourself.
Stay in contact with the natural world. Watching the waxing moon and the tides really help. Think about the impact of the six-foot tide in unsticking the boat.
Consider solutions that will not damage you any further.
After the crisis is over, check yourself for damage and give yourself time to heal.
Reflect on what you learned.
Say thank you to those who helped you get unstuck.
So…
Next time I’m stuck and I will get stuck, it’s part of life, hopefully I’ll remember some of these aphorisms. Happy unsticking if you need it and happy helping those who are.