Have you ever felt frustrated, like you were going in circles?
Did it feel like the harder you tried, the worse things got?
Did you find yourself asking, “Why am I here? What’s the point of all of this?!”
If you answered yes to any of these questions, I’m delighted you’re here because I have, too.
Adjusting my rudder
In 2008, I was freaking out over homeschooling my son and moving our family to Brazil when I had a spiritual awakening. It came in the form of an analogy inspired when I asked no one in particular, “How am I supposed to get through this?!” The answer that popped into my head changed my life forever.
“You know, your attitude is a lot like the rudder on a ship. As long as you keep your attitude adjusted appropriately, you can get where you need to go. But if it gets stuck, you’ll go in circles frustrating yourself and everyone else around you.”
The Captain page 8
I started thinking about other parts of the Boat and the parts of my life they represented. If my attitude was the rudder, then my heart was the ship’s wheel. My strength was the mast; my soul was the sail, the crow’s nest was my forethought, that beautiful lady on the front of the ship was my face.
For the first time in months, I started to feel excited, curious, and hopeful. I realized I could make small but targeted changes that drastically affected my entire life.
The analogy helped me recognize the difference between my Captain, the Divine source of love and light that lives within me, and my Lizard, the ancient part of my brain trying to keep me “safe,” scared, and quiet.
Instead of white-knuckling my way through anxious thoughts of fear and doubt, this analogy gave me a tool to steer toward love and hope and focus on creating a happier, healthier life for myself and my crew. I found it so helpful and inspiring that I felt compelled to write the analogy into a book using the four systems of a ship.
- The guidance system reflects our thoughts, values, and stories of who we think we are and who we want to be.
- Logistics refers to taking care of and communicating with ourselves and our crew.
- The propulsion system looks at our Souls, including our strengths, motivation, and self-discipline.
- The navigation system helps us focus on what we’re looking forward to.
I’m glad you’re here.
I love deep conversations about personal/spiritual development, so I joined the National Speakers Association and Toastmaster’s International. While I really enjoyed speaking to a live audience, I realized my husband’s condition meant traveling as a paid speaker was out of the question. I needed to focus on my priorities and be open to other options.
Over the years, I’ve learned to open up about my struggles with anxiety, rushing, and self-doubt and talk about using this analogy to help me steer my way through it. Sharing the Boat is my way of facing the waves of my challenges, leaving behind a legacy of hope and personal understanding, and help other people. My mission is to be a good steward of this analogy which has enabled me to see beyond my mistakes. It’s allowed me to recognize life as a creative art we all share.
I believe this Boat analogy is a tool to overcome our circumstances and recognize our souls.
If you’re interested in looking at and talking about your life, I would LOVE to hear from you! Please leave a comment below, and I’ll respond ASAP. You can download the Boat book pdf while you’re here. You can find it in the library at the top of the page.
More to come
I’m currently working on the sequel to this book, You’re the Boat Take 2: Fortify & Protect yourself, the Feed your Soul edition. It includes a deeper dive into your eight boundaries and fortifying yourself with provisions, fun, and rest. With worksheets and journal questions, this book contains new parts of the boat, including the Ship’s Bell (the voice of the ship), the Wake (the legacy you leave behind), and the Lamps (the lights improving your visibility). There’s even a chapter dedicated to filling your sails by answering the question, What are seven ways to feed your soul?
As the Bell on the ship of this website, I look forward to meeting you and having inspiring conversations. By turning on the lights of this blog and sharing it on social media, I’m doing my best to create a legacy of inspiration, kindness, and hope out on the stormy seas of the internet.
I look forward to meeting you and hearing more about your ship’s voyage, my friendly blog reader.
Have you ever had a spiritual awakening?
Have you ever read something that completely changed your perspective?
I would love to read about it in the comment below.
xoxo Pam
P.S. If you know anyone else interested in joining this conversation, please feel free to share this website with your friends and family.
P.P.S. You can also find me on social media on Facebook and Instagram.
*You can download the pdf version of the Boat for free from the Library tab at the top of this page. If you would like it for your Kindle, you can find it for free on Amazon.
Testimonials
“The Boat is a tool we can carry without weight. …we can find our course and move forward toward a life worth looking forward to. Everyone can be helped with this.”
Mary Kalocsay
“I read this book in one sitting and still read from it every day. The first line on the back cover says, “How am I supposed to get through this?” and I gotta say, people, how many of us can relate to that?! This ain’t no wishy-washy self-help book. This is a field guide for the soul. Pam gives us true insight on how to get through our struggles and build on our strengths. I can tell this book comes from her heart, and that means so much in this crazy world.”
Scot Valadez