Jean-Luc Picard
@spacedadsupport
Captain Picard says the supportive things you wish your father would say. Inspired by SpaceDad Stories by @writercrafter.bsky.social (manager of this page) along with @spacedocmom.bsky.social. He/him.
May you enjoy this anniversary of humans landing on Earth's moon in the spirit of the scientific achievement and wondrous adventure that inspired it all.
Perfectionism is frequently the enemy of progress. I understand the impetus to try to get it all done properly the first time, but there's often value in doing things in less-than-ideal stages and then building up towards something better later.
Your life will become more peaceful once you learn to no longer need the last word or for your side to be fully spoken. Sometimes your best possible ending to a conflict comes from walking away and letting the other side delude themselves that they've won.
You can't change another person's fundamental being. Only they can do that. You can change how much space you give them in your life and how you enforce your boundaries around them, but you cannot change them. Do not burn out your engines trying.
You deserve nice things. You deserve comfort and joy. You deserve safety and a community of kindness all around you. Yes, you.
Your moral high ground is valuable. Do not concede it readily amidst the throes of populism.
Maintain as much control over your comm system as possible. Cast disruptive, intrusive, and otherwise unwanted communications into the bin on sight. Do not engage with those determined to bring you down. Brook no gaslighting whatsoever. Shields up when necessary.
Whenever possible, steer your ship away from a truly futile battle. Sometimes the best defence is warping away.
You are worth defending. Anybody who tells you otherwise ought to be a primary target for all of your defence strategies and systems.
Don't shy away from reflecting upon times you trusted someone and shouldn't have. Study those memories. Learn the red flags. Use that past pain to bolster your shields going forward. It wasn't your fault that you were betrayed; mine that information to your future advantage.
It is true that I have advocated for seizing the time now because now will never come again. But do not mistake that directive for a requirement to burn yourself out. Sometimes the moment you must seize is the opportunity to rest between difficult times. Find your balance.
If you could visit your past self (please do not violate the Temporal Accords!) they would be very proud of how you have survived, learned, and grown. Just as I am proud of you for all of that and more.
Being a kind person doesn't mean putting up with abuse against yourself or others. You can vociferously decry terrible things and problematic people yet still be kind to those in need. Kind people are still allowed to have boundaries even while being activists.
Do the thing you've procrastinated about because you're worried you won't do it well. Start it today, even if it's just ordering the supplies. Do the thing. You've got this.
If a behaviour is a red flag to you, that's a legitimate sensor reading even if it's not what someone else would perceive as such. Your red flags don't require approval from others. You're allowed to set your own parameters and decide whom to allow into your life on what terms.
There are people out there who remember you for some small, random kindness you performed. You've forgotten these acts, but those people remember you because you helped them in their moment of need. Never underestimate your value in this universe.
If someone says something hurtful to you, imagine instead that they're saying those words to your close friend or a loved one. Would you willingly accept your friend or loved one being spoken to like that? If not, don't put up with it being said to you either.
You should take occasional breaks from your activism to keep yourself from burning out. However, avoid letting your actual values slide at any time. Being lax about your values too easily turns your activism into performance. Stay true to your values even in your downtime.
Always keep enough of your own fuel reserves to get you to your next destination. You aren't helping anybody if you end up adrift.
Bravery is not the absence of fear; it is doing what must be done in spite of the fear. You are quite likely much braver than you give yourself credit for.
If you in your era wish to rise to the benefits of my era, it begins with ensuring all demographics come along the journey in equality and equity. If you leave anybody behind, none of you shall progress this far.
Everybody makes mistakes. Do not allow inconsequential mistakes to haunt you or awful people to repeatedly throw them in your face. Some of my messages may contain errors. So be it.
Never ignore a red flag. Examine it to see if the warning is warranted and dismiss it if appropriate, but do not ignore it, especially if there are many of them.
You matter to people who never take the time to tell you, just as you don't have time to tell everyone that matters to you. Never mistake a lack of being told as a lack of importance. You matter.
Toxic positivity is highly toxic. That's why it's called that. You will never see me pushing it. You're allowed to recognise awful things as awful without having to find a silver lining. In fact, acknowledging the awfulness can be excellent fuel for activism.
Just because someone disregards your boundaries doesn't mean the boundaries aren't valid. In fact, it proves precisely why they are necessary and should be actively used and maintained.
The frightening thing about complicated issues is how easily they can be affected by one small action. But the inspiring thing about complicated issues is how easily they can be affected by one small action. You can do this.
Are you really burning that bridge, or have you simply stopped wasting your resources on putting out the fires the person on the other side keeps starting?
I am a cis man who absolutely knows - not believes, knows! - that trans women are women, trans men are men, and there's not a damned thing transphobes can do about that reality. They're scared of facts in your era and spewing nonsense because of it.
Defend yourself enthusiastically, vigorously, and often. Get used to doing it. Practice doing it until you improve at it. You are worth it.