“A ship is safe in harbor, but that's not what ships are for.”

A ship that’s always anchored to a harbor will have a lower chance of getting shipwrecked. But leaving it there means it will never fulfill its purpose–the reason for which it was built.

While having a ship that never goes out to sea makes no sense, we’re sometimes like that ship with our life. Fear keeps us at harbor where we feel safest. Sometimes we’re there for a brief moment and sometimes indefinitely. This quote, by John A. Shedd, encourages us to find the courage to leave our harbor. Because like the ship, we wont be able to fulfill the purpose and goals written in our hearts without ever doing so.