I love being at the beach, actually coastal cities are my favorite – there is that relaxed and laid-back vibe that just runs through my system. I also like seeing the different species that one gets to interact with and see by the ocean. One gets to see the differences as well as similarities in behavior from different species. One of the biggest similarities across all species, including humans, is a sense of belonging, a sense of community, a sense of love, compassion, empathy, and many more – you get my drift. Of course, in any environment, there is bound to be conflict – yin-yang!
Progress, in any environment, always comes with resistance – either from ourselves or those who surround us! So, one day I was by the beach, and I noticed a fisherman who said he had come to fish for crabs. “The market is good, and very few people care about supplying this delicacy, and my demand is bigger than what I supply – I am not complaining though.” – he said. I asked him why he doesn’t get people to assist him, and he said that the glamour that comes from fishing for fish in the ocean is too big for him to attract any guys to come with him, so he’s fine and he also gets time to reflect on a lot of things, in solitude, without any distractions.
As we spoke at length, he began to develop a sense of trust in me. So, he asked me to watch over his catch as he heads out to another spot where he knows his success rate will be very high – I agreed, and he headed on, and left me to watch over his catch. When he had gone for about an hour, I began to develop an interest over his catch – I just wanted to see how he would keep them fresh or alive for that matter. I noted that he had given them food and a bit of water – but the water was not enough. So, there was this one crab that felt “enough is enough, we deserve better”. So, he started climbing on top of the other crabs and wanted to get back to its natural habitat, where there was an abundance of food and water. He actually managed to get on top of them and as he was reaching the top of the bucket, somehow the other crabs managed to get the strength to also stretch themselves, and pull him down – I think in their minds, was that “he’s crazy and we can’t let him kill himself like that – we are in perfect safety here, no need to be outrageous”. This happened over several times, and eventually the crab gave up on its mission to leave the bucket.
This was an amazing lesson for me! How often do we stop doing something new because other crabs keep telling us that it is impossible? Starting a new business, moving to a new city, changing careers, etc.? What crabs do you have in your life?