⚓ Drop the Ballast ⛵ · Growth Syndicate

Mike Greene

Oct 12 • Daily Wisdom

⚓ Drop the Ballast ⛵

Blaming never serves us.

I’ve seen it in business, relationships, sport, and in myself.

You can hang on to the anger, the betrayal, the injustice…

Or you can let it go and move forward.

You can’t do both.

When I sailed in the 2013–14 Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, every single thing on board was judged by one question:

Does this help us move forward, or hold us back?

If it didn’t serve the mission... it was ballast.

Every extra kilo meant more drag.

Every unnecessary item meant more fuel, more strain, more resistance.

We even debated how much water to carry.

Do we store it or make it daily?

Do we keep fresh food or switch to dried rations?

Do we pack spare clothes or just accept we’ll stink by the time we reach port?

There was never the luxury of water to wash.

For six weeks between ports, “washing” meant five baby wipes a day…

and I’ll leave you to guess where those were used 🙂

Every ounce mattered.

Because the truth at sea is the same truth in life:

Anything that doesn’t propel you forward slows you down.

And that includes blame.

Whether it’s an abusive stepfather, an ex-partner, a business betrayal, or an employee who stole from you... hanging on to resentment is like sailing with the anchor still down.

It’s heavy.
It’s draining.
And it’s completely self-imposed.

The wind can be perfect, your crew can be world-class, your boat can be fast... but if you’re carrying emotional weight, you’ll still move slower than you could.

So, the real question is this:

What ballast are you still carrying?

Let it go.

Strip it out.

You don’t need to forgive to forget: you just need to stop feeding the weight that’s no longer yours to carry.

Because blame keeps you in the past.

But focus, faith, and forward motion.... they’re what get you home.

A few reminders I live by:

→ “Holding onto anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.” Buddha

→ “Let go or be dragged.” Zen proverb

→ “Ships don’t sink because of the water around them. They sink because of the water that gets in them.” Unknown

When you strip away what no longer serves you,