Earth: The Final Frontier

“It is impossible to fear diversity and to enter the future at the same time.”

-Gene Roddenberry (1921-1991)

I’ve always been a huge “Star Trek” fan, and I can still vividly recall many elementary school afternoons watching episodes with friends before our parents returned home from work.

We play acted scenes from nearly every episode, arguing over who got to play Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, Dr. McCoy, Lieutenant Sulu, Scotty, Chekov and other characters.

All of us knew Gene Roddenberry’s opening lines for this ground-breaking TV program (and later motion picture series) by heart:

Space. The final frontier. These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise. Its continuing mission: to explore strange new worlds; to seek out new life and new civilizations; to boldly go where no one has gone before.

Along with National Geographic, “Wild Kingdom,” and scouting, Star Trek ignited my desire to explore new places and realms on myriad levels.

This vaulted me far beyond the orbit of my natal home in Central Virginia, into a larger world of diversity and possibility, where I also developed a greater understanding and humility toward our shared humanity.

No matter where I’ve called home, I’ve always been passionate about lifelong education and exploration, and being open to revisiting and re-examining what I think I know compared to what I don’t know.

Unsurprisingly, what I don’t know remains a rather vast universe unto itself, but following is what I know to be true for myself, and help guides my life in this moment:

*Nature and animals aren’t separate from us. We too are animals and are part of nature;

*It’s infinitely rewarding to envision what nature connection can look like, and then acting upon inspired ideas, spontaneity, and life’s synchronicities to make that happen;

*It’s invaluable to view our individual and collective human journey as intertwined with that of Spaceship Earth.

Some days our journey can feel exhilarating, others a slog, or at times like everything is happening everywhere all at once.

On super challenging days, I envision our Earth orbiting the sun at 67,00 miles per hour, and our solar system moving at a speed of 450,000 miles per hour, and we can’t even feel this in our day to day lives! Doing so helps me view my own and others’ life journeys through a kinder, more compassionate lens, and remember that whatever is happening in this moment will eventually also pass.

*Diversity and biodiversity abound in nature, the only constant is change.

*From travels on five continents, I’ve come to realize that most people desire to live in peace, to live and let live, to love, feed, house, educate and take care of each other, especially those less powerful or fortunate, or unable to have their voices heard.

*I’m inspired by people worldwide valuing and protecting everything within Earth’s biosphere, and their desire to leave our home planet in better shape for future generations.

This Thanksgiving, no matter where your feet are, I invite you to pause at this challenging juncture of time, place and space paradoxically ripe with opportunities and possibilities.

I invite you to do the following:

-First, write down or otherwise note what you know to be true for yourself.

-Second, write down or note what you appreciate and what you’re thankful for.

Afterwards, reach out to people whom you appreciate and are thankful for when you feel inspired to do so. It could be a phone call, a catch up visit in person, a text or email, a quick “thinking of you” card/photo, you name it.

These are some of the best gifts you could ever give another person, period.

-Third, write down five enjoyable and easily doable ways to live in deeper connection with nature, the planet, and fellow human beings, no matter where their feet are.

Share your gratitude, dreams, desires, and intentions for the present and future with others.

We are all needed to work together and take action to herald a new era of greater peace, sustainability and prosperity on Spaceship Earth.

It’s all hands on deck time, and time to go where no one has gone before.