Many people understand the history of the Titanic. There have been documentaries and one particular very famous movie about the first (and last) endeavor of the ship.
When I first heard the story of how Titanic sank, I had assumed it bashed into an iceberg. That isn't necessarily what happened though.
The Titanic sank due to the part of the iceberg that really wasn't visible. The captain of the ship, and many others, felt that it was invincible and unsinkable.
This may have caused them to overlook the potential devastation of damage that could be caused to the ship’s hull if it were ever in a collision.
Once a hole was punctured in the side, it was only a matter of time.
In my mind, two primary things were at fault in this tragic event, aside from the iceberg.
Potential adversaries were overlooked, and there seemed to be a lack of preparation on the crew's part, if something did go wrong.
In our lives, we're only in control of so much. But there are times where we could avoid the iceberg.
Plenty things that we encounter are unseen, below the surface. Our mental health is sometimes like that.
Material things—like the Titanic—can be that way, too. We know that these difficulties exist now and will continue to as we journey on in life.
But it doesn't mean we're completely helpless.
Titanic was ill-equipped with rescue boats. There weren't nearly enough to carry all the passengers on board.
When life smacks us in the mouth, our support systems are the first people to know exactly what we're going through.
These are the people that have been there—and will continue to be—throughout our lives.
It's important to fill them in when we need emotional support or just an ear to listen.
Sure, we can overlook the giant iceberg, but we don't have to be totally unprepared for it. One of the ways to handle the curve balls in life is to have strategies for coping and to not be afraid to count on our loved ones.
It's really easy to just pick up your phone and keep scrolling while you have an unseen battle going on.
Talk. Really talk about the things that are torturing you. Talk about the iceberg. It doesn't have to be large. It could be a small anxiety about some commitment you signed up for tomorrow. Talk.
With the Titanic, the crew was over-confident in the ship—they thought it could handle anything. They were also unprepared in the event that something unexpected happened.
This doesn't have to be us. There are tools at our disposal to prepare for, and help us get through, almost anything that could hinder us.
Sometimes we simply need to reach out to the people that have helped us get this far.