It’s been a bit stormy in Wellington of late. It’s normal I guess for winter. I was up on the hill recently overlooking the ocean (warm and inside I might add). As the swell whipped around the harbour and the rain and wind blasted the window I watched a container ship coming into port.

These things are massive and sail from the other side of the world in the open ocean withstanding conditions I can only imagine. Yet when they get to port they need to wait for these tiny little tug boats to go out and guide them in.

It made me think of an analogy with us and our life. Sometimes the swell is heavy, sometimes the storms are set it. Whilst, like the container ships we’re all capable of withstanding the weather, sometimes we need a tug boat to bring us home. Sometimes we encounter those tricky patches we’re maybe not used to or haven’t navigated before and we need support. Like the little tug boats that come out to guide us home. This can be in the form of people, learnings, knowledge or reflection. It can also be the things we do – yoga and meditation have so often been my tug boats guiding me safely to port.

So who or what is your tug boat in the storm is the question I’m thinking today. As well as drawing from this analogy that it’s often the small things in life that really make a big difference – like the tug boats. Even the big strong container ships need support and navigation, so do we.