I’ve always been fascinated by salmon. Visually, they’re a rather boring species of fish; it’s their life journey that makes them so unique. They’re hatched in fresh water, migrate downstream to the ocean and return upstream to reproduce and die. This may not seem all that exciting, but to me it’s a perfect analogy for humanity. The perfect metaphor for a life well-lived. Let me explain…
We can’t control the circumstances of our birth - we’re all born in the “fresh water” of life. We don’t choose our parents, we don’t choose our financial situation, and we certainly don’t choose whether or not we have a decent upbringing. We “migrate downstream” during the formative years of our lives, lacking the autonomy and experience to make most critical decisions ourselves. I like the idea of “downstream” here, as it accurately depicts the situation of growing up. For most of us, we’re just along for the ride, existing at the mercy of our parents and communities. We float, we experience what’s given to us, and then we’re thrown headfirst into adulthood.
Welcome to “the ocean”. This is life, reality, the world. I don’t know about you, but when I first stepped out of the comfort of my upbringing, I was amazed at how big this world was. Vast, open, seemingly endless; just like the ocean. It’s overwhelming at first, but eventually we find out how to navigate our small slice of life and learn how to function on our own. Salmon spend the majority of their lives in the open ocean, fighting for food and survival…do we not do the same? The world can be a dangerous place, and “survival of the fittest” applies to every species on the planet. We have to compete in order to survive, in order to feed our families, in order do whatever it is we want to do. But at some point, if we’re lucky, we get a calling. For some of us it’s right as we’re entering the ocean, for others it takes a lot more time and experience, but the calling is the same. It’s the calling for more, for something greater. It’s our purpose.
I find it beautiful that salmon have this calling built into their being. They just know when it’s time to head upstream. They don’t think about it, debate it, weigh the pros and cons. They know, and they go. It’s that simple. The same applies for us if we tune in to our own instincts, and this can take a myriad of different forms. Some of us are called to create, some of us are called to be partners at law firms, some of us are called to find love. The calling is there for each of us if we listen closely. For me, this is why I started Modern Bronze. I just know this is what I’m supposed to do - I can’t explain it or give a detailed synopsis of all the reasons why. I just know, but that doesn’t mean it’s all rainbows and butterflies from here.
The most difficult and dangerous part of the salmon’s life is the journey upstream to reproduce. Not only is the entire journey a struggle against the current, it’s also a battle against the odds - the streams they travel are filled with all kinds of predators - and they’re sitting ducks as they fight against the opposing stream. Yet they go. They fight. These horrifying conditions surround them, but they make the journey anyway. In the end the goal is worth the sacrifice. The same can be said for our own journeys toward finding purpose. There’s resistance at every corner - people who don’t understand, people who have misconceptions, people who straight up don’t like us. These are the “predators” on our journey as we swim upstream, but we must continue in spite of their disapproval. In a certain sense, we must be willing to die in order to realize our calling. We must be willing to let go of any pre-conceived notions about ourselves. We must be willing to risk it all.
Have you ever loved something so much you would die for it? Maybe not something, but someone? That’s big salmon energy right there. That feeling that you would do anything (a-n-y-t-h-i-n-g) to achieve that goal, to realize that love, to heed that calling. That’s the example set for us by our little aquatic friends. They’re willing to sacrifice their lives to make it back to the fresh water to mate and give the next generation a fighting chance. That’s the definition of selfless. That’s the definition of perseverance. That’s the definition of purpose. Like the salmon, we too are called, and no less determination is required for us to achieve anything of significance. You want the job? Go get it, and do it better than everyone else. You want to create? Spend several hours creating every day for the rest of your life. You want the girl? Go get her and don’t stop fighting for her until the day you die.
After the salmon have completed their treacherous journey upstream and successfully mated, they die (save Atlantic Salmon, who take a few more trips). This is what happens to everything, to all of us, whether we succeed or fail. We all end up in the same place. Does that stop the salmon from trying? No. Do they tell themselves that there’s no point to anything because they’re gunna die, so why bother? Absolutely not. They do it anyway, every time. Not because of any specific reason, but because it’s what they were made to do. The same should be expected of ourselves. Follow that dream, chase that goal, marry that girl. Not because of any expected result, but because it’s what you were made to do. Be like the salmon. Do it.