The other day, while scrolling aimlessly through a carousel of press clips, memes, and motivational coffee mug slogans, I paused. A young athlete, at a press conference, uttered something that I haven’t been able to shake:

“When there is no wind in your sailboat, row.”

Simple. Profound. A mic drop delivered not with bravado, but with clarity.

Sometimes life feels like that quiet sailboat, stuck in still water. The air has stopped moving, the current is playing coy, and you’re staring at your limp sails wondering if nature forgot about you. There’s no “go” in your go-time. No buzz. No spark. And while it’s tempting to wait for the wind to change and for opportunity, luck, or inspiration to arrive,  that’s not how forward motion works all the time.

So, you row.

You create momentum. You breathe into the stillness and decide to animate it with your own effort. That’s the part we forget sometimes. The power of initiating. The beauty of effort when conditions are not ideal. When the promotion hasn’t come. When your energy is low. When you feel unseen, unheard, or stuck in a loop.

You row.

It’s an act of rebellion against passivity. Against learned helplessness. And dare I say, against the tyranny of “just wait.”

It’s May, my favorite month; a month of new blooms, warm breezes, and my birthday (yes, I celebrate all month long — fight me). But even in May, not every day carries magic. Sometimes I have to create it. I have to push through inertia, breathe new energy into my work, my writing, my mothering, my meaning-making.

Momentum isn’t always given. Sometimes it must be made.

So whether you’re sailing smooth or stuck in a lull, remember: you’ve got oars. You’ve got breath. You’ve got agency. And when the wind returns, it will meet you in motion — not in waiting.

Row, my friends. Just row.