Life is difficult. This is one of the Four Noble Truths. Sometimes life can become chaotic, like a ship out at sea during the storm, being beaten by monstrous waves that crash against the hull and across the deck, threatening to sweep you down into the deep, dark vastness of the ocean.

Imagine this scenario, a ship out at sea trapped in a storm, but with two different types of sailors experiencing the fury of the storm. One of the sailors fears for his life and rushes to the mast holding onto it for dear life, and the other sailor fights the waves for every foot up to the helm and tries to steer the ship through the storm.

The sailor that takes the helm laughs at the storm, the lightning flashes across the sky, lighting up his eyes and you can see the adventure, the excitement in his eyes. He doesn’t curse his circumstances, he embraces the storm, sees it as an adventure, a challenge and despite being at odds with the powerful force of a furious ocean, he attempts to take charge of his fate, steering the ship through the mountainous waves that threaten to sink his vessel. Maybe he takes a swig of rum, yelling at the sky, “Is that all you’ve got?!”

The fearful sailor makes no such attempt to take control of his fate. Petrified by his fear, he ties himself to the mast, hoping that it will keep him from being swept into the deep abyss. By doing so, he gives up his power to influence circumstances. He abandons his shipmates, making no attempt to save anyone but himself.

Think about the difference between the stories told about each sailor. One is a hero; one is a coward. Think about the difference between the potential outcomes for each action. Maybe the sailor who took the helm still sinks with the ship, or maybe his action is what prevented the ship from sinking and saved the entire crew. Maybe it still sinks, but if there are any survivors, he will be remembered as a hero, a man of adventure and courage.

The sailor who takes to the mast is seen as a selfish coward. Perhaps the ship sank, and there was no stopping it, or perhaps it survives the storm and now he has to face his shipmates and look them in the eyes, knowing they see him as a coward, knowing that he thought nothing of them and only tried to save himself. What stories will be told about him?

The main difference is the difference in mindset. The sailor who takes the helm has a winner’s mindset, it’s an adventure and he’s going to play the game to win. He has the mindset of a warrior, continuing the fight despite overwhelming odds. He acts with virtue.

It’s a great metaphor for life. We all have our storms to weather. Will you be the sailor who takes the helm, or the coward who ties himself to the mast, resigning to your fate, making no attempt to take control and be your own hero. What tales will be told of you?

We all have a choice. We don’t have any control over when the storm comes, but we have control over how we respond to it, the way we view it, and the mindset we have while we endure it.

When faced with the storm, do not let the fear and terror you may feel take you. Play to win like the sailor at the helm. If this is your fate, might as well be the hero and do whatever it takes to win despite the odds. At the very least, you will leave behind a tale of courage, if the ship will sink anyways, make it your chance to go with dignity and self-respect.

Change your perspective of the situation. Choose to view the storm as an adventure, laugh and challenge the sky and take your swig of rum and have fun with it if your fate is sealed anyway. Perhaps you’ve heard the famous phrase, you are the captain of your own soul. It’s true. You cannot control the storm, but you can control how you view it, weather it, and you can control how you act when it tries to take you down. Your mind is your own. Your soul is your own. Your story is your own to write. You might not get to choose the events, but you get to choose if you respond as a hero or a coward.

If something terrible were to happen, wouldn’t you want to attempt to steer the situation in the right direction? Perhaps its fruitless, but if there were a chance that the action you took could save you or even produce a slightly better outcome then doing nothing, then wouldn’t you want to take that chance and act?

Sometimes we get so overwhelmed by the storm that we only see the waves, we only hear the clap of thunder and mountains of waves, and we fail to take action. We can’t see past the fear and let it take control of our minds, and when we do, we sacrifice our authority as the captain of our souls.

Our mindsets determine our perspective, and the way we perceive situations will determine how we respond to circumstances. This is why we foster the winner’s mindset, why we play to win, why we foster the warrior mindset, and fight despite the adversity. The mindset you have towards life determines your response and whether or not you become a better person for your experiences or if you change for the worse.

Make your story one of adventure, one of defiance against adversity and not one of cowardice. Be the sailor who takes the helm. Laugh in the face of fear and steer through the storm. See the storm as an adventure, the adventure of a lifetime, and take the helm like your life depends on it, because it does.

The next time you are faced with adversity, you find yourself in a storm, ask yourself the question, am I going to take the mast or the helm? Take back control of your mindset and your perspective and write your story the way you would want it to read.