I’m indie writer Teague de La Plaine, author of the bestselling Sea at Sunrise and other stories. This is my weekly newsletter, where I talk about writing and self-publishing in addition to my own life. I keep the newsletter free, because I prefer you spend your money on my books.
When the seas get rough, the worst thing a sailor can do is let go of the tiller.
That slender, weathered handle—shaped by time and salt and grip—isn’t just a piece of gear. It’s a lifeline. A simple, unglamorous reminder that you still have a say in where you're headed.
Life works the same way. We all face storms: deadlines, diagnoses, depression, loss, war, debt, kids melting down, news cycles screaming at us like angry winds. It's easy to feel like the wheel’s come off completely. That you're just along for the ride, getting tossed around by things you can’t control.
But here’s the truth: you never lost control. You just forgot to steer.
What’s in Your Hand?
The Stoics were big on this. Epictetus said, “Some things are up to us and some are not.” Marcus Aurelius wrote, “You have power over your mind—not outside events.”
You can't change the wind. You can't calm the sea. But you can put your hand on the tiller. You can steer.
That doesn’t mean everything instantly gets better. It means you stop spinning. You stop flailing. You make a small, intentional move in a better direction. Then another. And another. That's how you find your way through the chaos—not by mastering the storm, but by mastering yourself.
What Letting Go Looks Like
Letting go of the tiller can look like all sorts of things:
Doomscrolling for hours.
Skipping your routine.
Telling yourself none of it matters.
Snapping at people you love.
Shutting down completely.
Or pretending everything’s fine when it’s clearly not.
These are the moments we feel adrift. Not because the world’s gone mad (though it often has), but because we’re no longer doing the small, daily work of steering.
Put Your Hand Back on the Tiller
When you feel that drift, don’t wait for clarity. Don’t wait for motivation. Just act.
Make the bed. Drink the water. Lace the shoes.
Turn off the phone. Write the words. Move your body.
Breathe in. Breathe out. Feel the damn tiller in your hand again.
It doesn’t have to be dramatic. In fact, it’s better if it’s not. Steering is a series of small adjustments. One degree at a time. That's what gets you to land.
One Last Thing
Storms will come. You can’t stop them. But you don’t have to be wrecked by them either.
So when you feel overwhelmed—when life starts slipping out of your hands—don’t curse the weather. Don’t pray for calm seas. Just reach out. Grab the tiller. And steer.
Even if it's just a little.
Because a little is everything.
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