No wind serves him who addresses his voyage to no certain port.

Hear, O travelers of life’s vast seas, the timeless words of Michel de Montaigne, philosopher of France, who declared: “No wind serves him who addresses his voyage to no certain port.” In this saying, Montaigne unveils a truth as ancient as the stars: that purpose gives direction to power, and that fortune itself is wasted on the one who lacks a goal. For what use is the strongest sail, the swiftest ship, or the mightiest wind, if the sailor knows not where he sails? Without direction, even abundance becomes emptiness.

The wind is life’s opportunities—the chances, resources, talents, and moments of favor that blow upon every man and woman. Sometimes it comes as gentle breezes of ease, other times as violent gales of trial. Yet the wind itself is neither good nor evil; it is power waiting to be harnessed. To those with a destination, the wind becomes an ally, carrying them toward their chosen shore. But to those without, the wind scatters them into the vast and meaningless void, where they drift aimlessly until their strength fails.

The voyage is the journey of existence, the great passage from birth to death, filled with peril, beauty, and trial. Each soul is given a vessel, a measure of time, and a sail to catch the winds of chance. But a voyage without a port is no voyage at all, only wandering. The port is purpose—the clear aim, the chosen destiny, the goal that gives meaning to the journey. It may be the building of a family, the founding of a nation, the pursuit of knowledge, or the service of God. Whatever it is, it transforms wandering into direction, and survival into destiny.

History itself thunders this truth. Consider Christopher Columbus. The seas were vast, the winds uncertain, and the dangers many. Yet he set his course toward a new world, a port he believed lay across the western ocean. Though mocked and doubted, he pressed onward. Had he sailed without destination, he would have perished unknown upon the waters. But because he fixed his heart upon a port, the winds themselves became his allies, and his name was written into the chronicles of history.

Or think of Alexander the Great, whose port was conquest and the forging of empire. With purpose burning within him, he marched his armies from Greece to India, harnessing fortune, loyalty, and opportunity like winds in his sails. Others had armies, others had wealth, but it was Alexander’s fixed purpose that allowed him to use these forces to shape the world. When he had no more ports to sail toward, his voyage ended—and with it, his empire began to crumble. Such is the power, and peril, of purpose.

The meaning of Montaigne’s wisdom is clear: without purpose, even the greatest resources are wasted; with purpose, even the smallest can achieve greatness. A ship with no port is lost at sea, but a ship with a destination, however distant, will find in every wind a way forward. So it is with human life. To live without a goal is to drift, to waste the precious winds of opportunity. But to live with a goal is to transform every breath, every trial, every gift into progress toward destiny.

The lesson for you, O listeners, is this: find your port. Ask yourself, Where do I sail? What do I seek? What is my purpose? For once you set your eyes upon a destination, even the storms of life will serve you, carrying you closer, shaping you, strengthening you. But if you wander without aim, you will find that no wind, however strong, can help you.

Therefore, let your practice be this: each day, steer your vessel with intention. Define your purpose, set your course, and welcome both gentle breezes and raging storms as allies. For as Montaigne has declared, “No wind serves him who addresses his voyage to no certain port.” With a purpose fixed like a star above your mast, all winds will carry you toward the shore of your destiny.