Watching the Boats Go By

This weekend, I want to invite you into a simple practice.

It’s called watching the boats go by.

Some people call it meditation. Others simply call it contemplation.

Find a place where you can sit quietly for a few minutes. You don’t have to empty your mind or force yourself to be peaceful. Instead, imagine you’re sitting on the shore, watching boats drift across the horizon.

Only the boats aren’t made of wood.

They’re your thoughts.

“I’m worried about Monday.” That’s a boat.

“I can’t believe they said that.” That’s a boat.

“I should be doing something more productive.” That’s another boat.

You don’t climb aboard any of them. You don’t argue with them. You don’t judge them.

You simply notice them, give them a name, and let them continue floating by.

What makes this practice so powerful is that it helps us see the constant stream of stories our minds create. We label everything—good or bad, success or failure, for us or against us. We spend so much of our lives believing every thought that sails into view.

But something changes when we simply notice.

Once a thought is seen and named, it begins to lose its grip. It becomes just another passing boat instead of the water we’re drowning in.

Could you give yourself five minutes today?

Maybe it’s with your morning coffee as the sun comes up.

Maybe it’s in the middle of the afternoon, watching the trees sway in the breeze.

Maybe it’s while the sky changes colors at sunset.

Just sit.

Watch.

Name each thought as it appears.

Then, with kindness, let it drift away.

You may be surprised by what happens next.

As the mind grows quieter, the world begins to introduce itself.

Not as something you have to label or evaluate.

But simply as it is.

And perhaps, for a few beautiful moments, you’ll discover that peace wasn’t something you had to create.

It was what remained after you stopped chasing every passing boat.

Have a beautiful weekend,

Ashton