By Roman Rickwood

Nowadays, we all need to be reminded of the importance of persistence. Life is hard. We need to persevere. For this week’s theme, Blogger Roman writes about a motto that highlights the importance of determination. 

My motto to live by is “Don’t Give Up the Ship.” For as long as I can remember, I have had a piece of art hanging on my bedroom wall that says “Don’t Give Up the Ship.” When my mom bought it, she told me the motto reminded her of me and that it has deeper meaning for how we should live our lives. 

To me Don’t give up the ship means be persistent, work through it, be strong, and stay the course regardless of what happens. As I’m writing this now, I think if I were to hear someone say “Don’t Give Up the Ship,” I would immediately think of an actual ship and a captain sailing through rough weather in order to complete his voyage. In the maritime world, it is an unwritten rule that the captain should always go down with the ship; this makes sense to me because it would mean that hypothetically the captain was so focused on getting others to safety that he would disregard his own. He has the responsibility of all others and the ship. I really think that this is the attitude you must have to be a captain, whether you are the captain of a football team, a captain of an airplane, or a captain of a ship. You should always put the people you are guiding above yourself. I believe this is the virtue of selflessness, leadership, and sacrifice. 

To me, these are the three virtues that I strive to follow. In my opinion, it is important to make the most rational decisions possible–which is why I sometimes struggle with the interpretation of a captain going down with his ship. Obviously it is reckless to put yourself in harm’s way; however, it is the right thing to do. 

As I’m getting older, I am learning valuable life lessons and realizing how hard life can really be. I think that at the end of the day, as long as you are willing to work hard, be selfless, and make sacrifices, we can accomplish any goal that we seek.

Motto Editor: Sara Habibipour