Every day, we find ourselves in situations that drain us, occupy our minds and time, and slowly add more weight to our boat. We believe we can handle everything and continue without realizing it, but we keep loading our boat with more weight. As it gets heavier, it struggles to move, slowed down by its own weight. When we are full of things — worry, work, responsibilities — we are not only tired, but also tend to be on autopilot, just trying to survive, problem-solve, and keep going. We stop taking a moment to enjoy the little things in life. It’s at that moment we should realize we need to change, but unfortunately, we don’t take action until it’s too late.

​As human beings, we tend to keep going until it’s no longer possible, to keep sailing until our boat is sinking under all the weight it carries. It’s only then that we realize we’ve reached our limit, not even when our boat is already moving very slowly. Only when it’s sinking, when there’s already water inside,do we realize we’ve gone too far and that something needs to change.

How do we solve this problem? Everyone goes about it in their own way. Some turn to the people closest to them, those rescue sailors, who help us unload some of our weight, loading it onto their boats. Others decide to throw the weight into the ocean, letting go of their responsibilities. However, some have to abandon their boat entirely, because by the time they realize it, they’re already in too deep to save it. Many try to avoid this situation by building the best boat, the strongest one, the one that can carry the most weight, working tirelessly and using the best methods to handle every problem that comes their way. Fortunately, a boat that never sinks simply doesn’t exist. Imagine how heavy it would be, how slowly it would move, and how little you would enjoy your journey , because you’d be spending all your time working and managing the loads on your boat. Instead, we need to start recognizing when our boat is already too heavy and ask for help.

You are a teenager, and yes, luckily, you have lots of opportunities and things to discover. But remember that each of them comes with some weight. We think our boat is infinite, that everything fits, that it will never sink. We are constantly learning: at school through academics, in our hobbies, and by participating in the things we love, like BBYO, which builds skills such as leadership and confidence. We are discovering ourselves, learning who we are. But one of the most important, and perhaps most difficult, lessons is to understand that there’s a limit to how much our boat can hold. If you keep adding weight, it will sink. Discover your limit, appreciate it, because without it, we forget to enjoy the beautiful things in life. Respect it, because when you surpass it, your boat sinks, and you sink. Many people exceed their limits simply because they don’t ask for help, that helping hand, if asked for earlier, could have prevented the sinking. Find those lifejackets, and find that balance, a perfect balance, where your boat sails freely, and you enjoy every moment.

P.S. Writing this article was a real example of all this. Luckily, I already know my boat and, most importantly, my lifejacket, to whom I’m endlessly grateful for helping me ALWAYS, thank you again.