Astronauts? I’ve listened to two so far courtesy of The Armchair Astronaut group. This lovely organisation and community gives ‘armchair’ people like us (who are unlikely to go to space but love to watch from our armchair) direct access to Astronauts – and gets them into schools too! Saturday’s treat was Daniel Tani who has flown several Shuttle missions and worked on the International Space Station. Daniel lost his mother while he was up on the ISS, and it was interesting to hear how he coped with such a significant loss (he’d lost his Dad when Dani was only 4 years old) at such a distance.

We had an opportunity to ask questions, so I asked him what the most important aspect was of the Astronaut’s mindset. His answer was so relevant to us – from Moonscope to Moodscope - it’s all about the team, so says Dani. It would seem there are no stars in space – at least Rock Stars or Celebrities or Prima Donas.  Whilst a Mission Commander clearly has tons of kudos (and astronomical responsibility!), the core driving force is making sure you look after your team. Dani gave examples from various stages of his preparation and development – all requiring support from large groups of people. There is no such thing as a solo astronaut.

This gave me pause for thought. I wonder how many of you are like me when the mood hits the lowest ‘valley’ moments – choosing to withdraw from others rather than turn to them? I’d rather have the safety of my cave on my own when I’m feeling low – how about you? Well, there’s nowhere to hide on the International Space Station and so withdrawal was not an option. Dani turned to his support groups on board and on earth, and they turned towards him.

And thus, I have no other message today than to ask ourselves, “How could I strengthen my connections to my support group?” “How could I invest energy in those critical relationships?” and, maybe, "How could I expand my support group?"

Lex

A Moodscope member