Anchors Up Or Anchors Down, Which Are You?

Setting speed, capacity and size records, the Edward L Ryerson plied the Great Lakes for over 50 years.?Launched in 1960 and 730 feet long, the Ryerson was the longest of Great Lakes ships then, deserving the title “Queen of the Lakes”.?Combined with over $8M lavishly spent on accommodations alone, the Ryerson’s streamlined stack, flowing bow, graceful pilot house and tapered stern reserve her aesthetic styling in an exclusive category.?Equipped with a single, cross compound steam turbine engine producing 9900 HP, the Ryerson is among the fastest Lake Boats ever, running at speeds up to 19 MPH.?With a mid summer draft of 28’ 4” the Ryerson is capable of carrying 27,500 tons and she set an iron ore record of 25,018 tons carried between Superior, WI and Indiana Harbor, IN in 1962.?Notably working the entire Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway, the Ryerson’s 4 holds may carry coal, wheat, corn or rye, barley and oats.?By 1988 the Ryerson was the only ship of its type employed exclusively in the iron ore trade.?Retrofitted in 1997 with increased tonnage, the Ryerson maintained sailing schedules through January 7, 2008 when she was laid up in Superior’s Fraser Shipyard where I see her frequently.

Pondering the Ryerson’s fascinating story I recently wondered about the transference to human nature.?How many people are willing to set out into unknown seas, bear the risks and fearlessly move toward their best possible future??Too often I see people afraid to leave their familiar and calm harbor, unwilling to potentially trade for an infinitely better life.?Being afraid to leave the harbor for points unknown and tempest threats keeps anchors down.?

Essentially there are Anchors Up people and Anchors Down people.?Contrasting the two, you rarely hear stories about or remember the names of Anchors Down people.?Conversely, spending their entire lives “at sea”, the familiar names of Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, Henry Ford and Walt Disney evidence subscriptions to the belief that living fearlessly is the only way.?

As you may contemplate your life, in the end the only question is whether you did or you didn’t.??There are no extra points for hesitation.?A popular inspiration message is synonymous with one of the most cited end of life regrets:?We only regret the chances we didn’t take.?When my curious kids were little I told them there were 2 kinds of people, those who watch and those that do.?Anchors Down people and Anchors Up people.?While those that “do” will fail, sometimes spectacularly, they’re typically the wisest, most interesting people.?Those Anchors Up people make things happen, without them we wouldn’t have iPhones, medical breakthroughs or space shuttles.?Closer to home, they’re the people who start and run businesses, donate their time to causes, rally team mates and generally encourage others to, as my grandfather would say, “Step on the gas."

Maybe right now you’re asking yourself which you are.?You already know.?In case of confusion, some key characteristics of Anchors Up people:

1. They never give up, seeing challenges as building blocks.
2. They know fear is an illusion.
3. They like the daily exhilaration of being at sea versus a colorless life in the harbor.
4. They pursue an enriched life visiting unknown ports with new people and experiences.
5. They’re optimistic, believing there are infinite paths to the next port.

Here’s a great quote, perfectly defining the benefits of being Anchors Up.?“Complacency leads to stagnation,” warns James Brown, CEO of Smart Communications. “The best way to combat this is to constantly be willing to push ourselves, our businesses, and our colleagues to explore the unfamiliar. Truly groundbreaking ideas rarely come from status-quo thinking. Embracing, rather than fearing, the unknown forces us to actively think creatively, instead of simply letting creativity come to us, and this leads to new perspectives.”

Teddy Roosevelt was an early adopter of Anchors Up thinking.?He thought, “Warships are not built to rust and rot in the harbor.?Keep them moving so that crews can keep in full practice at their seamanship, gunnery, etc.?That sounds like hard sense.”?Coincidentally, in 1901 a Duluth, MN newspaper, metaphorically “encouraged individuals to be more adventuresome” comparing that, “a ship in the harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.”

A great and thoughtful effort went into building the Ryerson and for 5 decades its commercial value was realized.?I’ll bet some CFO grinned hugely every time 25,000 tons of ore traveled port to port.?In accounting terms, the Ryerson is an asset while at sea and a liability when not.?Reframed by Zig Ziglar, “It is absolutely true that the person who won’t take a chance hasn’t got a chance.”?The Zen in me understands that your treasure lies behind your fears.?Heading into open water is the right path if you want to grow, gain perspective and magnify your life.