May 21:
“When you boldly go where you haven’t been before, that’s when life becomes truly fulfilling.”
I’ve recently attended a number of events at the Hot Docs Cinema on Bloor Street. Before each film they show a short promotional film with clips from some of the features of the past, which includes a brief glimpse of George Takei uttering the above quote. Although I have now seen the clip many times, it still invokes an emotional reaction every time I see it.
I was raised in an environment where the future was often uncertain. I was not by nature an overly confident person, and that uncertainty caused me to believe that I had to anticipate the things that might happen, and protect myself by being ready to deal with whatever outcomes arose. I expected the worst and made plans. While that is still my nature to a certain extent, I am gradually getting better at understanding that I can not foresee events or control outcomes even with the best of plans. So Takei’s quote is a great reminder to simply “boldly go” and let life take care of itself.
The Hot Docs Festival featured a film on Bill Murray and his propensity for turning up in unexpected places: photobombing wedding pictures; doing dishes at a frat-house party; tending bar in South Carolina. During the film, there are many talking heads discussing why he would do it so often. There’s clearly no ego involved. He seems to simply facilitate others’ enjoyment of the event and then quietly disappear without a lot of fanfare. Toward the end the hypothesis is made that his training in stand-up improvisational comedy has taught him to cultivate the ability to say “yes” to a proposition and then follow along to see where it takes him.
By being open and then accepting the danger of being unable to fully control the outcome, he makes himself available to a wide range of potential events and outcomes that can be beneficial to himself and those around him. While there is always the risk of looking foolish or worse – perhaps easier to accept if you are a comedian by profession – that attitude must open up a huge range of experience and opportunity that is not available to the more cautious among us.
I know from experience that I subconsciously say no to doing things which would be unusual for me and probably a lot of fun. So I am trying to acknowledge those opportunities when they cross my path and to take advantage of as many as possible. It’s not easy. My preference for safety, security and routine are often difficult to overcome, yet I’m aware that there may be few (perhaps very few) opportunities left for me to expand my horizons. Recently I have attempted to suppress my caution and boldly go into new experiences and opportunities and let the chips fall where they may. So far, as Takei said, it has been very fulfilling.