I can’t even begin to recount the innumerable times I’ve been reassured of my direction with ‘signs’. Now of course, it could all very well be pure circumstance, or manifestations of our own psychology in drawing connections between what is immediately in focus with the space around you in some deep effort to attain self-satisfaction or self-justification of work or ambitions. Then again, it could very well be, and I am believing this to be true, that more and more acute awareness of the world around us reveals clues to our paths of predeterministic fate during our journey here on Earth.
The ability to recognize this helps us stay focused, stay on our path, and be effective. In the world of exploration, real exploration, the explorer is most often self-motivated and it can be difficult to define the motivations. It is never about bigger, better, more or less, record-breaking, death-defying, or anything of the like – the motivation is always the pure pursuit of bearing some degree of influence on the world, to make it a better place, because we have been empowered to do so…the relentless pursuit of improving our quality of life.
After this weekend’s ‘sign’ I reflected back on my 18 years of living the life aquatic and it’s all starting to make sense. The bits and pieces along the way, big and small, put me in a unique position to do something positive – that’s the mission.
The ‘sign’ – it was literally a sign!
Walking through TF Green airport in Providence Rhode Island, I was initially taken back by the following:
A Rhode Island Foundation sponsored program ad for an initiative called ‘It’s all in my backyard’, promoting what our little state, the Ocean State, has to offer. The image is a Remotely Operated Vehicle owned/operated by a fellow explorer well known here in these parts. Interestingly, the ad used my brand ‘Oceans of Opportunity’. At first I was taken back and felt slighted. After much thought it occurred to me that I have obviously done a good job branding my work – so much so that others are borrowing my brand! Coincidence – likely not – both RI Foundation and the University tied to this ROV have supported my work as well. So, thank you both for the free advertising.
In the end, it was a sign – affirmation that more than a decade of branding is becoming effective, and perhaps a clue that what is forthcoming will indeed tie us all together in more ways than one.
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