Multiple Anchors in Life: Lessons from the Stoics

Hopes, dreams, and aspirations.

All humans have them.

Unlike any other being on the planet, we have the ability to imagine, construct and hold mental images of our desired future states.

Having hopes, dreams and aspirations is what makes us human.

We invest our energy, effort, resources and time, with the hope that we will achieve our dreams.

It’s natural for us to want to achieve.

It’s natural for us to pursue what gives us purpose and meaning.

Is it wise, though, to focus on a ‘single’ hope in life?

In the words of Stoic philosopher Epictetus:

"A ship should not ride on a single anchor, nor life on a single hope."

Seems counterintuitive to the usual advice to stick to one thing at a time.? To anchor ourselves to one goal at a time!?

So why would the Stoic’s philosophise not to rest on a single hope?

Doesn’t it make sense to have a laser-like focus on a single dream.? To hold firm on a single hope. Making sure all our effort goes towards achieving our vision.? Ensuring we don’t move off our path, or water down our ability, to achieve what we set out to.

Yet, Epictetus’ quote holds a deep truth that is relevant to our lives today.

We risk the investment of our effort, time and energy by putting all our eggs in the one basket.? And therefore we are susceptible to a single point of failure bringing all our desires, hopes and dreams crashing down.

Hopes, dreams and aspirations are contextual.? They are relevant at a point in time.? Our contexts however are continually changing, and therefore so too are our hopes and dreams.

If you don’t believe me - consider the following question…

What were your hopes and dreams ten years ago?

I would guess thinking back ten years, like me, there are some hopes or dreams that were important to you then, but today not so much.

Ten years ago our dream as a family was to move abroad, to live and work in Europe.? Not an impossible dream to realise, but nonetheless it would have its challenges.? Uprooting the family, winding down our family business, children having to move mid high school, moving away from friends and wider family, starting over again.

However since the coronavirus pandemic hit in 2020, our context has changed.

Even now in 2023 with borders reopen and the ability to travel and move abroad being possible, the stories of expats being locked out of their own countries during the peak of the pandemic is difficult to fathom.? People not being able to get home to be with ill or dying family members, became an unthinkable reality.

And as such, the attractiveness of living and working abroad is now a lot less appealing for us.? It’s still a dream that we have but now it feels a lot less enticing.? The reality of such a move and what can happen provided a very different perspective.

The only thing that has changed however is context.

The dreams and hopes that you hold today may not make sense to pursue, as the context to which those hopes and dreams were made changes.

Hopes and dreams tend to have a long time frame.? They sit out there in the future.? And by their very nature they have less specificity than the actions and goals that we are looking to achieve in days or weeks.

Because our hopes and dreams are less formed and more conceptual, it is important to hold a number of hopes and dreams. Not only because it is what makes us human, but if we become fixated on achieving only a single goal we can lose sight of the bigger picture, neglecting other important aspects of our lives.? We may sacrifice our health in pursuit of our singular hope, or our relationships, or our personal growth.

The hopes and dreams we hold should be like a good hand in poker.? You want a full hand of good cards, not just one good card, needing to bluff your way through.? You want a whole hand of hopes, dreams and desires - for all aspects of your life - work, family, relationships, wellbeing and personal growth.

Just like a ship needs several anchors to remain stable in the face of changing tides and winds, we need different sources of meaning and purpose to weather the ups and downs of life.

While it's important to cultivate multiple hopes and dreams in life, it's equally important to ensure they are balanced and anchored in the right areas of our lives. Focusing on a single area or the wrong areas, and neglecting others, can lead to a sense of emptiness and unfulfilment.

Consider a ship in a storm, with multiple anchors but all the anchors are at the bow of the ship, or they are situated in the wrong places in the context of the tides, waves and wind.? Keeping that ship stable would be futile.

Having multiple anchors doesn't have to mean spreading ourselves thin or pursuing multiple goals at the same time. It means diversifying our sources of fulfilment. Investing in our hopes and dreams across different aspects of our lives that are important to us.

It means finding meaning in our relationships, our work, our hobbies, and our personal growth.

When we have multiple anchors, we are less likely to be thrown off course by setbacks and failures within our context. We can weather the storms of life with greater resilience and adaptability. We can also approach life with a sense of curiosity and adventure, knowing that there are always new experiences and opportunities to be explored. By embracing this mindset and diversifying our sources of fulfilment, we can lead a more fulfilling and meaningful life, no matter what challenges may come our way.

So let's remember the Stoic wisdom of not riding on a single anchor, but instead, let's cultivate multiple anchors and live a life of resilience, purpose, and joy.