Ah, Summertime. The beach. The ocean. The salt air and the waves. The ghost crabs!
On our family vacation in Bethany Beach, DE, the ghost crabs literally littered the beach. Hundreds of golf ball-sized “spider” holes with big, nervous eyes popping out of the abyss. It was like something from an Alfred Hitchcock movie!
But a ghost crab “attack” was the last thing we needed to worry about. The tiny crustaceans spent most of their time hunkered down in their underground home. Occasionally, they would tentatively peak out, only to scurry back out of sight at the slightest shift in the sand.
One “brave” ghost crab ventured about a foot from its hole to nibble on a small piece of seaweed. The entire time, its eyes flashed back and forth in fear and it never stopped nervously twitching. Finally, a slight breeze blew and it went cowering back to its subterranean refuge.
Nature has instilled a justifiable level of caution in the demeanor of the ghost crab. There are dangers out there in the world. Sea gulls. Sand Pipers. Overzealous six-year olds with buckets and shovels. Life is much safer at the bottom of the spider hole.
But it comes with a hefty price. Do they experience any enjoyment? Do they take any risks to improve their situation? Do they have any confidence in their ability to thwart the dangers of the great, big world? Not so much.
And don’t we all occasionally fall into that same “spider hole” mindset in our work and personal lives?
It’s Not Just About Surviving–It’s About Living!
In our work lives, there is always a temptation to live with one foot in the spider hole. We don’t express our opinions in a meeting for fear of ridicule. We don’t change our approach to a problem for fear of the unknown. We don’t make the decision to strike out on our own or expand for fear of failure.
This will prolong our survival. This may save us from danger and embarrassment. But at what cost?
If we don’t boldly pop out of the hole in the sand, how will we ever grow? How will we ever taste success? How will we ever maximize our potential for advancement? We can’t just wake up and try to survive. We have to live!
Step Out of the Darkness
The same is true in our personal lives. How often do we go scurrying for the comfort of the deep, cool sand?
We don’t reach out to make new friends for fear of rejection. We don’t address a lingering issue with a family member or spouse for fear of negative repercussions. We don’t discipline our children for fear of creating a rift. We spend our days avoiding conflict and controversy. But is that really living?
Sometimes we need to fight. Sometimes we need to lay down the law. Sometimes we need to take a few risks. Spending life in the darkness of a spider hole is no life at all!
We Can’t Stay Down Forever
But what if we poke our head out and get smacked down? Our business fails. Our idea falls flat. We reach out to build a relationship and it generates strife and heartache. We flex our muscles but lose. We fail.
It is okay to retreat back into the spider hole when life delivers its best punch. We all need to regroup and hunker down at some point in our lives. We all need a safe place. Resilience is not about avoiding the spider hole altogether. It is about reducing the amount of time we are buried in the sand.
Eventually, we need to emerge back into the world. We need to trust that we will be safe and successful. We need to trust that there is a much better chance of something good happening, than something bad happening.
We need to stay resilient. It’s all about living (that’s “l-i-v-i-n!”)
Don’t Be a Ghost Crab
There a lot of dangers out there in the world. Heartache and pain lurk around every corner. The spider hole will protect us. But we can’t live our lives down there.
Life is not just about survival. It’s not just about the passage of time. It’s about enjoyment. It’s about making real connections. It’s about taking chances, and failing, and emerging ready to fight. It’s about stepping into the sunshine and doing the best we can.
We can’t do that from the darkness and isolation of a spider hole. The ghost crabs have a knack for survival. But we deserve more from life than just basic survival.
Life as a ghost crab is no life at all!
Until next week, keep smiling!