Life Lessons Star Trek and Beyond

My Christian faith and its’ core teachings are important to me and while I do regularly revisit the Lutheran Catechism and other Christian sources for guidance I have been watching the newest Trekkie shows and revisiting shows such as the original Charmed. I thought about what lessons can be derived from Trek, even the oldies such as All in the Family. I even thought about how certain Meatloaf songs have a grain of wisdom on life. What re some lessons we can learn from let’s say Trek and other series?

Be willing to think outside the box for solutions. Sometimes it’s important to move out of one’s comfort zone. I have lived pretty much all my life in NYC, Manhattan really and have never really gone outside my Manhattan bubble, not often. Now I am going to be moving to New Jersey and I don’t drive, so a bit scary, but I also know I can’t stagnate where I am and I need to take the chance on a new chapter in a new place. I am making sure I am financially stable to do it, but good even if only in small ways trying new foods, to get of the comfort zone. That is how we grow as a person: heart, spirit and soul.

Be open to agreeing to disagree. We all have our own views, and that is okay. It’s okay to have a firm view on some things that matter a great deal to you. Rather than trying to prove one is right, well maybe both sides say what they believe on a particular subject and maybe something might spark in both persons to learn something they were not aware of before. Maybe that will spark one or both to do some research on the subject. Being unwilling to even engage in civil conversation is not healthy for either person or sides.

Don’t go by what you see at first sight. Yes, first impressions do count, but keep in mind that there may be stuff going on that day or month that we know nothing about. Whether that is a person, a situation or a viewpoint it’s important to not just look at the surface, but understand or try to understand what drives that. Is that genuinely what that person believes or are they just going along with the college program, peer pressure etc…

Be willing to admit you screwed up and you maybe need to change direction. That doesn’t mean you have to abandon your core faith beliefs on various topics, or that you need a total drastic change in direction. It just means be willing to examine what is going on beyond a superficial level and make changes as needed along the way. That is a sign of maturity. Asking questions is also a sign of maturity. It’s okay not to know it all and to ask questions to better understand a person or a situation.

Empathy is great, but there also has to be a certain level of logic alongside that empathy. If it isn’t one might end up enabling something unhealthy. If someone is in pain, but can’t take certain pain meds prior to surgery and I give them those meds first off the surgery may have to be cancelled or worse they could end up bleeding during the surgery. While I might empathize that they are in pain I also have to use logic and make sure I don’t give them anything that could interfere with the upcoming surgery.

Learn, let your whole life be an education. I love to watch videos about different cultures, films from different parts of the world, listen to music from different cultures. I love doing calligraphy and I even ordered stencils and sketch books to bring out my creativity more. Knowledge opens doors, makes life a bit more well rounded, so try to learn about the various cultures of the world and even your own even more. Expand your world.

Don’t dismiss the importance of the journey because you are so focused on the destination, on achieving the goal that perhaps is now an obsession. The journey, who we meet, what we learn, the small achievements are just as important as the end goal itself, especially if it is a noble one.

I hope we can embrace these lessons and live them well for ourselves and for a better world. My rock is my Christian faith and will always be, but I also see where certain shows and songs have also given me tidbits of wisdom.

Namaste