Origins

Normally I would not be so excited about ANOTHER installment of the star ship Enterprise. I lost track of the sequels after Star Trek III. However, the new movie begins where it all began...on earth, and that's why I'm so pumped to see it. From the preview above, the movie seems to shed some light on some of the characters lives; The origins of who they were and where they came from.

Our lives seem to move in a similar direction and order. We live our lives, racking up one success after another. We throw in a few broken relationships, failed marriages, financial pit falls and soon we wake up one day and say, "What am I doing here", or "Why am I still doing that", "How did I get here". Other times we are confronted with a behavior that continually gets us into trouble. I see this every day on TV and in my community. People who have run their lives into the ground because of a behavior they continually revert back to. Some of which have serious consequences. As Dr. Phil would say after revealing a destructive behavior to a poor ol' soul, "How's that working for ya?". The key to unlocking our life habits are found in our pasts. Habits, thought processes, and behaviors originate from our past. Humans are continually shaped by life's events. Some may be liberating, some may be incredibly painful. Some experiences are positive and others negative. Right or wrong, good or bad, these events shape who we are. (Keep your sunday school answers to yourself. I know all about "He is the potter and I am the clay....". That is saved for another blog.)

If our pasts shape who we are then why do we ignore our origins? If we want to positvely change who we are, we must first realize who we've become. The changes that have occurred in my own life were not made without some series introspection, but they also were left undone until I first understood what affects my past had on my present. Once I developed an understanding of where I came from, I then could move forward with changing my unwanted behaviors.

If I went and bought a plant without first knowing the origin of where it came from I probably would not have much success in keeping it alive. Certain plants need alot of sunlight. Others need very little sunlight. Some plants need an abundance of water to survive, and others would die if too much water was given. I can't successfully grow a plant, which originated in the deserts, and keep it alive watering it like it originated from a rain forest. The origins of that plant must be recognized if there is any hope in keeping it alive. Such is life. We cannot grow into all we were meant to be without first knowing the events and decisions that have lead us to this moment; the moment of life change.

(...to be continued)