What I have Learned from a Star Trek TNG episode called Tapestry.

I saw this episode nearly 15 years ago in Australia. This episode was a character driven episode about the show's main character -- Captain Jean Luc Picard. That time, I never really appreciate the lesson behind the show. I just find it intriguing to learn about Picard's past. 

Watching this episode again, I have learned something new. Who says, we cannot learn new things from watching television?



This is the speech from the show.

Au contraire. He's the person you wanted to be: one who was less arrogant and undisciplined in his youth, one who was less like me... The Jean-Luc Picard *you* wanted to be, the one who did *not* fight the Nausicaan, had quite a different career from the one you remember. That Picard never had a brush with death, never came face to face with his own mortality, never realized how fragile life is or how important each moment must be. So his life never came into focus. He drifted through much of his career, with no plan or agenda, going from one assignment to the next, never seizing the opportunities that presented themselves. He never led the away team on Milika III to save the Ambassador; or take charge of the Stargazer's bridge when its captain was killed. And no one ever offered him a command. He learned to play it safe - and he never, ever, got noticed by anyone.

In life, we have to learn to stay focus and seize each moment in life. There will be times where we have to take some risk and stand out in the crowd -- to get noticed. Getting notice it means doing a job well done. You may say, you are already doing a good job but you are not getting noticed. Yes! You could be right. Ask yourself, what have you done lately to get yourself noticed? There is no need to brag about yourself, but you will still need to reach out to the relevant people. This could be your teacher, your manager, owner of the company etc. Let them know about your passion, let them know who you are.

True, sometimes you may messed up and many people would see. In the future, would anyone really remember that you messed up? Ask yourself again, when did you remember your friends or other people messed up? Even if you did, what does it mean to them? Nothing! This does not stop them from pursuing what they want in life. So, you should not let it stop yourself as well.

Start right now, go out there and reach out. Take some risk. Be good at what you do. Be noticed.