Don’t give up the ship.  Fight until she sinks! –Captain James Lawrence

My wife and I celebrated her _ _ birthday a few weeks back by travelling down to beautiful  St. Michaels, Maryland.  For those who have never been, St. Michaels is an idyllic waterside town tucked into the eastern side of the Chesapeake Bay.  Kayaking.  Bike riding.  Sailing.  Shopping (for one of us).  It was a glorious time in a special place.

Saturday night, we biked over to the historic Inn at Perry Cabin to enjoy a couple of drinks from the Adirondack chairs overlooking the water.  It was then we noticed the three flags flapping in the gentle breeze.  The American Flag and the Maryland flag were a given, they each unfurled from just about every establishment in town.  But there was a third flag that simply read: “Don’t Give Up the Ship!”

Curious, we asked our waiter for more information.  He was more than happy to fill us in on the history.

Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry (the namesake of the Inn at Perry Cabin) was a prestigious Naval Commander, and one of the biggest heroes from the War of 1812.  At the beginning of the war, his best friend, Captain James Lawrence of the USS Chesapeake, was engaged in a battle with a single British vessel.  At some point, the battle turned against Captain Lawrence but he commanded his men to keep fighting despite the long odds.  “Don’t give up the ship!” he implored over and over.

But to no avail.   The USS Chesapeake was captured by the British and Captain Lawrence was mortally wounded in the skirmish.  Commodore Perry never forgot his friend’s final command.  He adopted the “Don’t Give Up the Ship” flag for for his own ship, and re-named it the USS Lawrence, in honor of his fallen compatriot.

The slogan “Don’t Give Up the Ship” provided a rallying cry for the US Navy which ultimately catapulted the United States to victory.  And it is a great rally cry for all of us as we strive for resilience in our everyday lives!

We Have to Stay the Course

In our work lives, it is not always smooth sailing.  We may end up on the wrong side of office politics.  We may lose  our confidence through repeated failures.  We may be the target of aggressive ladder-climbers.  We may lose faith in our colleagues.  No journey is easy.  There is rarely an uninterrupted ascent to the top.  And that is okay.

We can’t be so quick to move on to greener pastures.  If we truly believe in our mission, we have to forge ahead despite the setbacks.  Politics change.  Losing streaks end.  Our colleagues are doing the best they can.  Someone has to command the troops to fight for the ship.  And that fight starts from the inside.  It is a burning fire of resilience.  We can’t give up the ship!

Rough Seas Don’t Last Forever

The same is true in our personal lives.  Our relationships may come under attack.  Our children may disappoint us at times.  Our values may be challenged through peer pressure and other societal implications.  Our will power will be tested over and over again.  Are we going to abandon our faith and morals?  Are we going to walk away when things gets difficult?  Don’t give up the ship!

We need to find our motivation and our grounding.  We need to understand that the rough seas will eventually calm.  Arguments are viewed from a different prism after a good night’s sleep.  Our children will learn from their mistakes and use it as an opportunity come back around to us.  There is nothing in this world that justifies jettisoning our values.  We will experience incredible joy and a sense of accomplishment by weathering the storm.  Don’t give up the ship!

We Have to Keep Fighting

But what happens when the ship takes on too much water?  What happens when we are out of options?  There is no glory in bringing everyone down with the ship.  Sometimes, we have to change jobs.  Sometimes, we have to declare bankruptcy.  Sometimes, we have to break off a relationship.  We can fight the good fight and still lose.  But making a change that allows us to fight another day is not giving up the ship.

The ship is your life.  The ship is your motivation.  The ship is your sense of purpose and self-worth. The ship is your capacity to love.  The ship is your moral compass and values.  We can never give these up.  We can never compromise.  We have to fight with ever fiber until she sinks.

Commodore Perry honored his friend with a flag and a rally cry.  And two hundred and seven years later, it is still great advice for all of us.

Don’t give up the ship!