Few among men are those who cross to the farther shore.
The rest, the bulk of men,
only run up and down the hither bank.
—The Dhammapada - Chapter 6, Verse 85
The Laysan albatross is born flightless, relying on its parents to bring it food in the early stages of life. But at some point, the parents stop coming, and the adolescent bird is left to fend for itself. The only way to get nourishment then is to fly out to sea and find it for itself.
The bird is so large, however, that it requires proper wind conditions for takeoff, especially for its first flight with undeveloped wings. So it waits for the gusts to be just right before speed-waddling down the beach like a runway, flapping as hard as it can while praying to make it at least as far as the open ocean.
Why? Because lurking beneath the surface are migratory tiger sharks who have arrived to prowl the shallows, knowing the first flight of many a young albatross doesn’t last very long. And for those that don’t, because the winds of fate decided to die down, for example, well… chomp, chomp.
Imagine being recently abandoned by your parents, hungry beyond belief, and feebly reliant on undeveloped wings to survive. Now, you must take your first flight over shark-infested waters in order not to starve. Ahh, nature.
What does this have to do with the above quote, you ask? Well, perhaps we’ve all been hesitant at times to leave the land of comfort for fear of what lurks within the proverbial shark-infested waters. But casting away that fear is the only way to leave the shores of starvation and venture out into the world where growth and prosperity are possible.
I write this only to say that whatever possible reality you face, at least you’re not an albatross.
That is all.