Sailing

Yes, sailing. Remember when people used to sail? I mean like the Kennedys. People used to belong to yacht clubs and sail around the Mediterranean.

Now? People watch TV. They go on the computer. You have DVD, WWW, HD, XM, and a thousand other things to take your mind off reality.

Do a little experiment. Actually go sailing. Find someone with a boat. Not just a motor boat, but a sailboat, one you have to roll up your sleeves to get going. Ask them to take you out some time.

I'll bet you'll love it. The sea has captivated the imagination of people for thousands of years. What's out there? What's on the other side of the ocean?

The ocean's a little scary. There are storms. Huge waves. Tropical heat. Pirates. A hundred things you don't even have to think about on land.

Robert Greene's next book is all about fear, and how getting power is all about conquering it.

I think sailing provides a useful platform for examining, and overcoming, fear.

You may have followed the recent arrival of Zac Sunderland after his solo circumnavigation around the world. That's a guy who might have a few things to say about fear, and how to conquer it.

The recent Transpac, Long Beach to Hawaii, is also an exciting confirmation of man's ability to conquer fear. There's a great movie about it called 'Morning Light.'

There is also a great around-the-world sailing race called the Volvo Ocean Race which just finished. Competing on a team in this grueling race is probably tougher than going to the moon, since these guys get less sleep, have worse food, and have to contend with storms.

People have been sailing for thousands of years, and while technology has improved, the sea can still be a very powerful adversary.

As the guys on Deadliest Catch often prove, sometimes the trickiest adversary is not the weather but the other people on the boat!

If you haven't been sailing, I would encourage you to try it. You might get a kick out of it. This is not meant to be presumptuous; you might already be a longtime sailor for all I know, or have some aversion to the water.

Sailing doesn't have to be expensive. Crew on someone's boat--most guys with a racing schedule are dying to take someone on board.

There are so many great images and metaphors with this sport. Never mind all the poetry about wind, waves, sun, and sail--the idea of one man using tried and tested techniques in sail trimming and navigation to take himself all the way around the world--well, that's just inspirational.