To Boldly Go...

“To boldly go where no one has gone before.”

Even if you’re not a sci-fi nerd like me, you’ve probably heard this opening line from Star Trek. I used to see it as just a catchy intro. But as I pondered the topic that’s in my heart to write about this week, it occurred to me that this line is also an invitation to use the power of our imagination to create outcomes we want, not ones we dread.

These days, it’s easy to imagine a dystopian future filled with conflict and chaos. Hollywood and the news give us plenty of material. But I’ve learned that it’s not helpful to invest my attention and energy into outcomes I don’t want. Instead, I do my best to focus on what I do want to experience and imagine that happening.

That’s why lately I’ve been limiting my intake of gloom and doom news and consuming more content that inspires and uplifts me. I watch YouTube videos of my favorite spiritual teachers and fascinating nature documentaries that show how animals and plants adapt and thrive in harsh climates. I especially love when they feature habitats and animal species that are making a comeback once their lands are protected. It gives me hope that things can always turn around!

And back to Star Trek’s invitation, “to boldly go where no one has gone before,” this sci-fi nerd has also been watching Star Trek Discovery and Strange New Worlds, the newer series in the franchise. These shows carry forward Gene Roddenberry’s original vision of an inclusive, cooperative universe: one where diversity is celebrated and differences are normal.

When Star Trek first aired in the 1960s, it was groundbreaking. The color of someone’s skin (or even the shape of their ears) was never an issue. A diverse crew worked side by side as if it were the most natural thing in the universe…because it is! That spirit of teamwork and inclusion continues in these newer shows, where both human and alien characters come in every shape, size and color. 

There’s a gay couple on Discovery as well as a non-binary character in later seasons. Yet no storylines revolve around them struggling to be accepted for who they are. They just are. It’s so refreshing!

I am also inspired by the leadership skills on display in these shows. Starship captains don’t lead through domination or fear. To borrow a concept I heard from Brené Brown, they practice power with, not power over. They weigh input from their trusted crew before choosing the path that serves the greatest good. They make decisions based on shared values like integrity, compassion, courage, and doing no harm. Not that these captains never make mistakes, because they do. But they own those mistakes and live with them. That’s the kind of leadership I imagine for this world. And seeing a woman of color in the captain’s chair on Discovery has been especially gratifying.

Season 4 of Discovery offers a powerful metaphor for our times. The crew encounters a massive dark matter anomaly destroying planets. When they learn it’s caused by an advanced alien technology, they must choose: destroy the threat or try to communicate peacefully with this mysterious alien race. It’s the basic choice between fear and love that A Course in Miracles teaches. 

In a pivotal moment, Captain Burnham makes the case for diplomacy over preemptive attack to the delegates of the United Federation of Planets. Not everyone agrees, but they come to a decision by vote to send the crew of Discovery to make peaceful first contact with the aliens.

SPOILER ALERT: In a riveting scene in the final episode, the crew learns how to communicate with this species and is able to make them aware of the harm their device is causing. Once they understand, they deactivate it. During their exchange, we also discover that these gigantic jellyfish-like beings live in such deep harmony that it’s difficult for them to comprehend the concepts of separation and individuality.

That’s another vision worthy of our imagination. A world where everyone understands that separation is an illusion. What happens to one of us affects us all. The COVID-19 pandemic certainly taught us that! I find it heartening that more and more people here on Earth are making choices based on the recognition of our interconnectedness.

Here’s one more story from Star Trek:Strange New Worlds that touched me deeply. In an episode titled “Terrarium,” two mortal enemies, one human Starfleet pilot, one lizard-like creature, become stranded on a desolate, hostile moon. It becomes very clear that to survive, they must put aside their preconceived ideas of each other and cooperate. As they learn to communicate and trust one another, their fear gives way to friendship. Let’s just say I needed a tissue by the end of that episode.

At a time when division and “othering” dominate the headlines, these kinds of stories remind us that we are much more successful and happy when we work together. They inspire me to keep imagining a world where kindness, inclusion, and peace are the default, not the exception.

I keep learning that what I feed my mind is just as important as what I feed my body. If I eat a whole bag of potato chips or M&Ms, I know I won’t feel good. The same is true if I consume too much fear-filled media. When I get sucked into an upsetting news cycle, I feel depleted and out of sorts. Choosing uplifting, inspiring content is like making healthier food choices. I know I’ll feel better if I reach for carrots and hummus or strawberries!

So that’s my invitation to you this week: pay attention to what you’re “feeding” your imagination. Only you know how many potato chips you can eat before your stomach gets upset. If the TV shows or the amount of news you watch leave you anxious or hopeless, it might be time to unplug and shift your attention to stories, practices, and people that lift you up instead.

If you’d like some help shifting from fear and despair to love and hope, I would be honored to support you with a series of Spiritual Coaching Sessions or a Private Family Constellations Session. Both can help you break unhealthy patterns and redirect your energy to choices that bring you joy. Please exlplore my website to learn more and to schedule a session.

Until next time, may you use the power of your imagination to boldly go where no one has gone before—toward a world that works for all.

What you see reflects your thinking. And your thinking but reflects your choice of what you want to see.

A Course in Miracles ~ T-21.in.1:5-6