The Doldrums
It seems counterintuitive that one of the greatest dangers for sailors in the 18th or 19th centuries was calm weather.
In the zone around the equator where the trade winds meet, something peculiar happens: the heat draws the air upwards, and on the surface of the ocean the wind drops, often to nothing.
Being caught in the doldrums could mean being stranded for weeks, with rations and water running out. It was often deadly.
And so the metaphor has seeped into our language. We associate the doldrums with times in our lives where we are stuck. Life is at a standstill.
It happens to everyone. Circumstances beyond our control can trap us in unwanted situations. Or a lack of progress that entangles us in a quagmire of boredom and frustration.
Eventually, the wind will pick up. Something will happen and the sails will billow with hope and expectation again. Surviving the lull is often the difference between success and failure - if you can hold on to hope in times of inertia, you are more likely to make it through the doldrums.
Studies have shown that optimists are often more successful than pessimists, and one reason for this is that optimists are less likely to give up when things are going badly. Hope gets them through the doldrums.
Like everyone else, I've had periods of frustration and paralysis.
Back in 2009 I had the idea to create digital art that looked like physical, hand-made models. This was a fresh take on 3D at a time when everyone else was creating fantasy or sci-fi.
I posted my work on forums, and it was totally ignored.
It didn't fit in with what other people were doing and didn't seem to resonate. I kept posting anyway, and eventually something surprising happened.
The editor of 3D Artist saw my work, and she liked it. She was probably tired of seeing science fiction and fantasy art, so for her my work was a breath of fresh air. The exposure I got from that chance encounter changed my life.
So after months of being ignored and posting into the void, my luck changed.
The doldrums are a challenge, but you never know when the wind will pick up again. So much of our lives is dictated by things we don't control, so like sailors from a bygone era we have to be patient and wait, ready to seize our chance when it comes.
Because it will, as long as we don't give up.