In April 1912, the Titanic set sail from Southampton, England, bound for New York City. Built in Belfast, Northern Ireland, it was the largest and most luxurious passenger ship of its time, so advanced in its design that it was famously described as “practically unsinkable.”
But before the ship even left the dock, a quiet decision was made that would shape the course of history.
David Blair, a capable officer who had helped prepare the Titanic for her maiden voyage, was unexpectedly removed from the crew list. The White Star Line wanted to bring in Henry Wilde, a more senior officer with greater experience commanding large vessels. Blair was disappointed, no doubt. He’d done the work. He’d earned his place. But he stepped aside professionally.
In the rush of departure, Blair accidentally took a small key with him in his haste to gather all his belongings before disembarking the ship. That key opened the locker containing the binoculars for the crow’s nest, the lookout’s post high above the deck. The error wasn’t discovered until the Titanic was deemed too far out to turn back. The captain, Edward Smith, made the call not to return for the key. It seemed like too much trouble to go back and then have to start the journey again.
But on the night of April 14th, lookout Fred Fleet stood in that crow’s nest, scanning the calm, dark Atlantic with his naked eyes. He spotted the iceberg, but too late. The ship struck it. Later, at the official inquiry, Fleet testified that had he had binoculars, they would have seen the iceberg in time to steer clear. “We could have avoided it,” he said.
There have been moments in my life that felt just like that. Times when I believed my ship had already sailed. And for a long time, I told myself it was too late, too hard, or too inconvenient to start again from midlife.
Luckily for me, I did decide to start again, beginning with improving my health. When that improved, the things I needed to do to get back on my feet, which was just about everything, started to fall into place. I didn’t know it then, but in hindsight, it’s never too late to start again.
If you’re not in a good place or want to be in a better one, you can't go wrong starting with your health. Don’t wait until it’s too late. Do the hard thing now, so you don’t face the impossible later.
And today is a good day to launch or turn things around.