Today, I am thankful for those willing to break out of their routine.
In our daily lives, we follow routines – established, predictable patterns that enhance efficiency and allay undue stress, albeit at the expense of boredom. For example, each weekday morning (when not faced by a pandemic), I follow my trusted routine. I wake up, brew some coffee, make my lunch, take a shower, get dressed, and then head off to work to embrace a new day. In my car, my mind wanders adrift as I listen to Audibooks, but I still I drive down my windy, convoluted path to my office, never expending too much energy anticipating or navigating the next turn. The routine is so rote that I accomplish it without much cognitive thought. In fact, an intentional break from the habitual routine is not something I readily desire.
Why?
Well, any unique undertaking requires one’s upmost attention. The commitment and energy to accept a change from the routine is offered without any assurance that the new-fashioned path will lead to a better outcome. Experimentation with an avant-garde approach also ushers in a sense of uneasiness and a twinge of angst. So, we often fail to explore uncharted waters, instead staying on the path we know guarantees success.
This is why I’m so fascinated to learn about those renown European explorers who were willing to take a leap of faith. Take yourself back in history a half a millennium ago to the heyday of the “Age of Exploration,” when thousands of small wooden ships, known as caravels, embarked on long, arduous journeys in search of vast, undiscovered lands. The “Age of Discovery” in the 15th & 16th Centuries witnessed many nation-sponsored expeditions in search of new-found wealth and prestige. For many destitute Europeans, the idea of risking it all in pursuit of a new path to India and the promise of new-fangled riches was a risky proposition worthy of consideration.
Such was the motive that compelled a 40-year old Christopher Columbus to contrive a plan ‘to sail the ocean blue in 1492.’ Columbus was born into a family of wool merchants who spent their lives on the high seas in search of novel trade routes and untapped commerce. One day, while sailing with his crewmates along the Portuguese coast, the ship upon which he was commissioned was attacked by rogue pirates. As the boat was set aflame and sank into the Atlantic Ocean, Columbus grabbed on to a scrap of wood and floated ashore. From there, after he dried himself off, he made his way to Lisbon, where many daring expeditions to the far reaches of Africa and Asia were being led by men like Price Henry the Navigator, Vasco de Gama, and Bartolomeu Dias. Columbus became enamored with the idea of naval exploration, so he studied mathematics, astronomy, and cartography. He learned that many of those small, sailing ships traveling to Asia had to sail south along the African coast, until they reached the tip of Africa, known as the Cape of Good Hope. From there, they would turn north and head to India and the far reaches of Asia.
Columbus convinced himself that there must be an easier way. So, he hatched the notion that if he simply sailed west from Lisbon he would uncover a Northwest Passage to the Far East. He pitched his idea to Portuguese and English leaders, but they were skeptical of his navigational calculations. Finally, he was able to convince the Spanish monarchs, who were desperately seeking to support global exploration. Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile opted to support Columbus’ novel expedition, with the understanding that 90% of the treasures would belong to the Spanish throne and the remaining 10% would be relegated to Columbus and his valiant crew.
So, on this day (Aug 3) in 1492, Columbus set sail from Palos, Spain, with his crew on those 3 rhyming caravels – the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. After a quick stop in the Azores, the trio of ships would spend nearly 9 weeks at sea. With no land in sight, the crew eventually grew irritable and restless. Columbus purposely kept a fake log of their travels, as he surmised that if his crew discovered they had travelled farther than expected, mutiny would ensure. Columbus held steadfast with his ruse until the first week of October, when at that point, the agitated crew had reached its breaking point. Fearing mutiny, Columbus finally agreed on October 10 that if land was not spotted in the next 48 hours, the three caravels would reverse course and head back to Spain. Finally, on the next day, the crew spotted land. Now, of course, what they found was not India but an island in the Bahamas. Unfortunately, Columbus secured no riches either on that initial trip or the 3 others he would commandeer in 1493, 1498, and 1502. However, what he did find was an entire continent unbeknown to European civilization.
Sometimes, a new idea does not reap the rewards you might expect. However, a break in the routine might reveal something even more profound, thrusting one into a brave new world.
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