Ever noticed the line moving up and down on a pulse rate monitor in a hospital? What does it tell you? And what about that same line going flat?
A line moving up and down means there’s life — the person is alive, and it’s a relief to see it moving in waves. A flat line means death, and we fear seeing it. But do we really understand the message it carries about life itself?
A heartbeat monitor teaches us that the ups and downs are what life actually looks like — and a flat line means no life at all. We understand this instinctively, yet when life itself moves a little up or down, we complain, wishing for it to stay smooth.
I came across a story I thought was worth sharing.
The Japanese have always loved fresh fish. But the waters close to Japan haven’t held many fish for decades, so fishermen had to travel farther out to sea, and their boats grew bigger to match.
The farther they went, the longer the return trip took — and if it took more than a few days, the fish lost their fresh taste.
To solve this, fishing companies installed freezers on their boats, letting them travel farther and stay out longer. But the Japanese could taste the difference between fresh and frozen fish, and preferred the fresh — so frozen fish sold for less. Companies then tried fish tanks instead, packing the catch in, fin to fin. After some thrashing around, the fish stopped moving; tired, but alive. Still, the Japanese could taste the difference, because the fish hadn’t moved in days and had lost that fresh-caught taste.
The Japanese wanted the lively taste of fresh fish, not sluggish fish. So how did the fishing companies solve it?
They added a small shark to each tank. The shark ate a few fish, yes — but the rest arrived in a lively state, because staying alert to survive the challenge kept them active the entire way.
Do you see any familiarity in the fish’s situation? Do you recognise the role challenges play in your own life? I believe challenges are blessings in disguise — trust the plan, because a challenge often means you have the option of a better life, if you choose to meet it.
And if you’re blessed with a comfortable life, without much challenge, you may find yourself feeling tired and dulled by the same routine. Add some challenge — even something you never thought you could do, or something that feels hard for you right now. A life with new, challenging goals keeps you active, the same way the shark keeps the fish moving.
Be grateful for the problems in your life, and ask for the capacity to handle them. Shift your perspective on the sharks in your life — and don’t let your own line go flat.
