5 LIFELONG LESSON WE CAN LEARN FROM THE TITANIC BY ''Sinead Duffy''

The story of the sinking of the Titanic will be told and retold for countless generations. Both young and old are fascinated by what is considered one of the rarest events in human history. Hundreds of books have been written and several feature films have been produced in memory of the legendary ship. Today, 100 years later, take a moment to absorb 5 lifelong lessons that can be learned for this great tragedy.

1. Limiting Beliefs can be Detrimental

The mighty and glorious Titanic was believed to be 'unsinkable'. For that reason, it did not carry the required number of lifeboats. This was one of the biggest causes of loss of life on the ship. The belief that the ship was unsinkable ultimately led to disaster.

Lesson for Life: Your beliefs are so powerful that they directly affect how you think and behave. When you believe something to be true, you act in accordance with that belief. Identify, challenge and move beyond any beliefs that could ultimately spell disaster for you.

2. Overconfidence is Catastrophic

Overestimating the capability of the Titanic led the captain to make
several perilous decisions. One such decision was to abandon the safety drill of lifeboat practice in lieu of a recording a faster sailing time to New York. Another such decision was to increase the speed of the ship, even though a neighbouring ship had turned off their engines believing that the waters were treacherous.

Lesson for Life: Supreme overconfidence is more detrimental than false optimism. It is in fact, delusional. Such confidence exceeds the accuracy of judgement and results in poor decision making skills.

3. Life is a Mystery not a Post-Mortem

The mystery surrounding the sinking of the Titanic has intrigued generations and will continue to do so. What happened that night left behind many unanswered questions and a series of 'what if' possibilities.

Lesson for Life: Looking back and wondering 'what went wrong' or 'why' will not change what happened. What you can change is what is happening now and the choices you make about the future. Life is not about being stuck in the past, it's about what you have in the present and what you can do in the future.

4. Not All Fears are Bad

The creators of the Titanic feared nothing. They had built a ship that could overcome the major weaknesses in ship design that caused so many ships to sink in the past.

Lesson for Life: While some of the fears you have may prevent you from developing your potential, others protect you from danger and keep you safe.

5. Count Your Blessings

Being reminded of this great tragedy gives us an opportunity to be grateful for everything good in our lives.

Lesson for Life: If you take the time to focus and be grateful for all the good things in your life, you will attract more of what you are grateful for. Many scientific studies now surround the importance of being grateful. In that very moment you are expressing your gratitude, there is no room for negative feelings such as anxiety, sadness or guilt.

The sinking of the Titanic shattered the faith of an age and for each generation, there will be new revelations and new theories. No matter how clever, how skilled or talented we are, sometimes we remain at the mercy of events beyond our control. Whether beliefs held were detrimental or overconfidence held sway, there are some things we cannot account for and others that elude even the greatest minds. The important thing is that we learn from the past, live for the present and hope for the future.

Written by "Sinead Duffy'' (great minds inspire)