The poem “George Gray” by Edgar Lee Masters is voiced by dead man who is pondering the ironic design of his gravestone. The marble sailboat is a symbol for his life- a tool of potential motion and adventure, but one encased in stone – one that will never move. George Gray lived a small life of safety and comfort. In avoiding risk, pain, and adventure, he also missed out on all the things that make life incredible and give it meaning.
Don’t make the same mistake! Live life to its very fullest so that at its end, you’ll have no regrets as to the things you wish you had done and the person you wished you had become. Mark Twain once said:“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
Quinton
George Gray
By: Edgar Lee Masters
I have studied many times
The marble which was chiseled for me –
A boat with a furled sail at rest in a harbor.
In truth it pictures not my destination
But my life.
For love was offered me and I shrank from its disillusionment;
Sorrow knocked at my door, but I was afraid;
Ambition called to me, but I dreaded the chances.
Yet all the while I hungered for meaning in my life.
And now I know that we must lift the sail
And catch the winds of destiny
Wherever they drive the boat.
To put meaning in one’s life may end in madness,
But life without meaning is the torture
Of restlessness and vague desire –
It is a boat longing for the sea and yet afraid.
1000 Diamonds 
provocative…wow! i do wonder what you are thinking about throughout the day… i was reading socrates’apology today. it’s so fascinating!
It does put small challenges and risks into a bigger perspective, doesn’t it!
Motivated…
Quinton
What is the opposite of taking risks? To try and try and try and throw yourself out there and sort of expect to get hurt. Not all fear lead to avoiding danger. Some people’s fear force them to seek the danger and love the pain. It feels comfortable. For them it’s risk taking to stand back and let the love, sorrow and amibition come, instead of chasing it with the handcuffs handy. We often forget about this other side of risk taking… in the same way as we forget about the other side of stress. Some people get stressed by info overload and some ny info starvation. Too much to do or too little – just as dangerous. Too little riskfulness or too much – just as life weakening. What is life awakening is to have a strong core and a purpose and flow with intuition. Life is complex. What are you risking? What is the worst thing that can happen? x