Tuesday, August 20, 2013

6 Lessons I Learned from Doctor Who

1) Act With Confidence

     I’ve seen the doctor walk onto a military base and order the men around. They obey him, because he has the attitude and demeanor of a leader. They obey him because they believe he is the leader.

     Sometimes you need to be somewhere. Sometimes, you need something to happen. What do you do when others don’t believe you belong there? Act as though you do. Believe in what you’re saying. Walk and talk like you are a leader and people will follow.

     Other times, you need to slip in under the radar, avoid being seen by those who would harm you. Don’t shake in fear, even if you feel it. Remain confident even then, proceed as you must to get things done.


2) Smile in the Face of Danger

     What does the doctor do but smile when danger arises? Okay, yes, he scowls sometimes. But even when he’s angry, even when he is incredibly cheesed off, that grimace of determination lights a spark in his eye. Maybe that spark isn’t a smile, but it can sometimes feel like one.

     Danger is there, it’s always present. It can be quite exciting, if you have the mindset decided that you will enjoy it. And again, here comes fear. But smile in the face of danger; a good smile is a great way to combat the fear, to fight the negativity that might otherwise stop you.

     Consider this, when danger arises. Can you not do anything? You cannot? Then why not smile and get what joy out of the situation that you can. Can you do something to improve it? Fantastic! Why not smile about your impending victory? You may not always be able to smile of course, but if you can smile and mean it, smile from deep within, then won’t your life be that much the better, that much more enjoyed?


3) Ideas are Powerful

     The doctor constantly saves the day with ideas. He constantly saves the world from ideas. Ideas are the source of the greatest evils and the greatest joys. Ideas fill us up and drag us down. Ideas can topple empires. They can inspire people to courage, creativity, and monumental stupidity. They change people, worlds, and the course of history.

     Now, what can be more powerful than that? Try to answer without coming up with an idea.


4) Ordinary People are Tremendously Important

     What is there to fight for, if not ordinary people? Who lays down their lives in a war, if not ordinary people? Who would follow a great leader, who can band together to end darkness, and who fills the ranks, the ever-growing ranks of humanity? Ordinary people.

     One more or less can, and often does, make a huge difference. One ordinary person can become an amazing person. Two ordinary people can start a movement, spark a revolution. It often takes only one ordinary person to save a life,; one ordinary person doing something, or even just being somewhere at the right time.


5) We All Need a Hand Sometimes

     The doctor travels across the cosmos, across time. He hops, occasionally, from one dimension to the next. He’s seen the destruction of planets, and their births. He has seen the greatest and the worst that the universe has to offer. And yet, the one thing he cannot do is face it alone. Not for long, not with any measure of joy.

     We need a hand to hold, someone to guide us through the dark night. For what would be the point of the greatest journey, if there wasn’t someone to share it with or tell the story to? You can climb a mountain and see the world from its summit; but will you forget, if you find nobody to share the memory with?

     And when tragedy strikes, when we lose what is most important to us, what remedy can there be but in a compassionate presence?


6) Don't Mess With Rose

     Seriously, I’m not even joking on this one. You can make the doctor angry about just about anything else, you may get a warning shot or a chance to turn back from your evil ways. But mess with Rose, and it's all gone. If he doesn’t tear apart the cosmos to set her safe again, he’ll tear you apart. Failing that, Rose will find a way to tear you apart to get back to the doctor.

     Whatever other mistakes you might make in your life: Don’t. Mess. With. Rose.

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