Yesterday NASA launched Perseverance to Mars and with it a little helicopter named Ingenuity. I love science and space exploration and watched the launch live yesterday morning. My son came up to me and asked, “Dad, why are we sending spacecraft to Mars when we’re having all these problems in America?”
We’re in the middle of a pandemic, millions of Americans are out of work, protests are taking place in some of our city streets, and we’re in the final months of a Presidential election. There are so many things going on, and my son’s question made sense.
I’ve heard similar questions in the past from people wondering why we would waste money on space exploration.
What does NASA sending a spacecraft have to do with your journey toward better health?
Much of what we do is geared for today, but when you stop to think about it, we’re looking to plan for our future. We put money in the bank and save for retirement for a rainy day.
The exercise that we do today will help us build muscles for tomorrow. What’s critical is that we better understand the need to build a sustainable life for the future.
Today humans have the Perseverance spacecraft headed toward Mars to investigate on whether there was ever microscopic life there. Fifty years from now we might have set foot on Mars, and a hundred years from now we could have a small colony.
On our road toward healing, we are also building for the future. It’s critical that we plan for the long term and are not so shortsighted that we only focus on today. Having a healthy balance between today and our future can be a difficult tightrope to walk.
Our lives might be filled with uncertainty, great suffering, and turmoil. The pandemic, loss of jobs, people struggling to solve problems of racial inequality—the list goes on. Live today, but I recommend spending a portion of your energy for tomorrow.
NASA is sending a spacecraft to Mars. What can you do today to help your future self?
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