I spent last night with friends on a small island in Auckland Harbour. Waiheke Island is an alternative, green, beach community of about 10,000 souls. This morning at the weekly market I met a few of them, including author Mark Sommerset. He has written a charming children’s book called “Cork On The Ocean“.
I picked up one of his COTO bookmarks that seemed particularly appropriate. On it is written a short quote from his book:
“Don’t be afraid,” murmured the maid.
“Be happy the sea isn’t flat,
for what is a high without a low?
Where’s the adventure in that?”
This is very much on my mind as I prepare for my series of motivational speeches next week – taking my Atlantic experience and relating it to “real” life in a way that people will find useful, no matter what their challenges. My problem is not finding these “lessons learned” – it is narrowing them down to a one-hour presentation.
The ocean is indeed a wonderful teacher, and I loved the way that Mark’s story presents this to a children’s audience. His story is about going with the flow and making the best of adversity – useful lessons for readers of any age!