This Is What Happens When You Live Life In “Neutral”

Justin Zack
4 min readFeb 6, 2024
Photo by Geranimo on Unsplash

You’ve probably heard the famous quip: “A ship in the harbor is safe but that’s not what ships are built for.”

It’s true and one that resonates deeply with me.

But there’s an even deeper truth that I’ve found that plagues me and others like me who struggle with making their own decisions.

It goes like this:

A ship out of harbor without a captain, is at the mercy of the sea.

Shift into neutral, go with the flow, play it by ear, we’ll figure it out. Let the current take us where it wills. It’s an adventure.

Easy going. Yep.

Low stress. Check.

Here’s the problem:

When you live life in neutral. You lose your life.

Just as a ship needs a captain to navigate the challenges of the sea, you need to steer your life.

The reality is, without direction, you are lost. Because your destination is unknown.

But when you choose to raise the sails, chart a course, and weather the storms, you are sailing.

You have direction.

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Justin Zack
Justin Zack

Written by Justin Zack

Project leader. Product thinker. Write about human things. Find me at justinzack.com