There’s something about outer space that fascinates us. The unknown, the thrill of exploring and adventure, the vast spaces and surprises that captivates our attention and imagination.
And yes, there’s surviving in space too.
It’s riveting, exciting, and almost unbelievable. The newer movies have more believable science in them, while older movies tend to focus more on possibility and a vision of what the future could be.
I most recently watched The Martian, who stars Matt Damon as an astronaut who gets stranded on Mars, and has to figure out ways to survive for some time, until he gets rescued.
Of course, this included repurposing equipment, growing his own food, repairing his habitat, finding a way to communicate to earth, and all of the different challenges thrown his way.
I also remembered the movie Gravity, which starred Sandra Bullock as a scientist and astronaut sent to repair a space telescope, but due to a bombardment of space debris, had to survive and figure out ways to get back to earth.
And then a favorite of mine, Armageddon. With Bruce Willis and team saving the earth from an asteroid. And Aerosmith with their single, “I Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing.”
All very entertaining and good movies. But there is a sliver of truth behind all of that.
Facing the reality of what’s there.
The reality is, space is dangerous.
Space is unforgiving.
That’s just what it is. It isn’t going to give you any breaks. Either you come prepared, or suffer.
There’s no oxygen, no atmosphere, no friction with air. In space, a really small rock traveling at such a great speed it will tear a hole in you the size of a beach ball.
It’s about coming prepared for a variety of situations. That’s why astronauts have to go through years of training before they can even get close to space.
It’s about acknowledging and respecting the dangers, and possibilities that can happen in space. In a space mission, there are always backups, fail-safes, and procedures. People make a plan and they know what they’ve got to do.
In space, there’s also teammates, and along with that comes the importance of communication and working with others.
There’s also the need for courage, creativity, willingness to take action and take the first step, and to follow through on it.
And except for the no atmosphere part, that sounds an awfully lot like the earth that we live in.
Do something about the situation.
In space, challenges happen. Equipment break down, circuits fail, rockets misfire, and your crewmate snores loudly.
You can prepare all you can, and prepare well to prevent any mishaps from happening, but these things can happen. No amount of complaining or bitching will change that. Or get someone else to solve the problem for you.
It’s up to you to make what you can of the situation, and to do something about it.
This is where you use all that you have to make sense of what has happened, get help, figure out what to do, and proceed on a course of action.
There are no sure shots, no 100% certainty of success, but you can do all you can to tip the scales in your favor.
And you’ve got to take action. Just planning and thinking about the problem and its possible solutions won’t get you anywhere.
Do the math, put on the suit, and go do it.
The will, the want, the determination all has to be there to succeed. The hard work all has to be there to succeed.
Or even, just to stay alive.
Start by solving one. Then another. Then another.
Matt Damon’s character says in the movie, that surviving is about solving one problem, then the next one, then the next one. And if you solve enough problems, you get to come home.
We face a lot of problems on a daily basis, in our work, and even personal lives. And they won’t solve each other all at the same time.
And when it comes to achieving big goals and dreams that we want. It’s more of a case of taking steps to reach that goal, rather than just achieving the goal outright.
There’s process. There’s discipline. There’s smaller steps to getting big things done.
And what these outer space movies show us, is that they achieved what they wanted to get done by tackling one problem at a time, the most important problem at the time. The problem that will get them most closer to their goal.
After solving that problem, on to the next one, then the next one.
It’s also about focusing on what’s in front of you, while never forgetting the big picture, the end goal.
It’s figuring out what works and doesn’t work, learning the lessons, and adjusting accordingly.
It’s coming to grips with where you are right now, and what has to happen to get to where you want to go.
And it’s not only for outer space.
Same with life.
Same with goals.
Same with dreams.
You don’t get any closer by just imagining and wishing it would come to life.
Focus on what’s happening right now, in front of you, while keeping in mind your end destination. Achieving your goal will ultimately built by the actions and decisions you make in the now, not in some far off future.
We always reap what we sow.
You start by accepting the realities, and where you are right now, doing something about it, and solving one problem, one step that will get you closer, then the next one, then the next one.
And if you take enough steps, you’ll get to see it all come true.
Leave a Reply