It's an Empty Boat

Most collisions in life are with empty boats.

Years ago, I read a story in Marshall Goldsmith’s book Triggers that I’ve never forgotten.

A monk was meditating alone on a quiet lake. The water was calm and the air still. Until…
BAM. Another boat slammed into his.

His first instinct was anger. Who would be so careless? How dare someone disrupt my peace?

He opened his eyes, ready to unleash his frustration on the person who did, but all he saw was that the boat was empty.

Turns out it had drifted free, untied from a nearby dock, floating aimlessly until it bumped into his.

Just like that, his anger disappeared because there was no one to blame. No one to be mad at. Just something that happens in the game of life.

The Takeaway: Most of the collisions in your life are with empty boats.

• The driver didn’t mean to cut you off

• Your boss didn’t mean to ignore your input

• Your friend just forgot to call you back

Every minute you spend wasting energy trying to assign blame to meaningless moments is a moment you don’t get back.

So the next time you are frustrated at someone or something, pause and ask yourself:

“Am I just getting angry at an empty boat?”

Then move on to the next play.

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