Explore the inspiring insights and lessons from retired astronaut Chris Hadfield’s career in space and his time as commander of the International Space Station in “An Astronaut’s Guide To Life On Earth”. Get a condensed summary of the book and discover how to approach life with a can-do attitude
Book Summary
Recently, when I was browsing the internet, I came across a website that would allow me to submit my application to become an astronaut. The concept of traveling into space has always held a great deal of interest for me. I was taken aback when I clicked on the link and discovered that I meet the requirements to submit a resume in order to be evaluated for a place in the astronaut corps.
It started me pondering about what life would be like in space and how things would actually be. Would I be able to deal with the pressure, the feeling of missing home, as well as the other emotional and physical demands? What exactly is it that astronauts do?
After that, I read Chris Hadfield’s book, An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth, which introduced me to the concept of an astronaut. This book covers the intriguing ins and outs of life in space, as well as the preparations that need to be made for such a life. But the most interesting part is that it draws parallels between many of these and life as it actually is here on earth, so instructs us all on how to lead happier and more fulfilled lives.
The following are the top three cosmic lessons that I picked up from this astronaut:
- Preparation is essential to having a successful life on Earth, regardless of the path you choose in life, and living in space requires a significant amount of it.
- You have to be able to take criticism in order to have any chance of surviving as a space explorer. This is a skill that can be learned by anyone in order to lead a happier life.
- Returning to Earth after spending time in space is challenging, but the experience also provides astronauts with a fresh perspective and a heightened sense of gratitude.
Lesson 1: To go to space and succeed in life, you must learn the value of preparation.
Since I was a member of the Boy Scouts of America, I have kept this phrase in the back of my mind at all times because it is the organization’s motto. Even if I have the propensity to overprepare at times, I will never understand why other individuals insist on making their lives more difficult by forgetting to make plans.
This ability is essentially necessary to have if you wish to have a career as an astronaut. It makes no difference how much education you have or how much experience you have had. The training consists of extensive studying as well as simulations of scenarios that may never even occur in real life.
The NASA employees responsible for developing training are required to create unforeseen scenarios in which everything that may go wrong does go wrong. It is essential to be prepared in the event that there is a fire or a computer does not function properly.
However, people who go through the training get new instincts as a result of it. When something goes wrong, these individuals are trained to respond in a calm yet urgent manner, which overrides their natural instinct, which is to either fight or flee from the situation. This even helps them improvise when they’re in the middle of a mission and things turn chaotic, and they need to act quickly to save their lives.
However, having this skill is useful for more than just venturing into space. Being prepared for any challenge that may appear out of nowhere is beneficial. For instance, some of my preparations made it a lot simpler for me to find new employment after I was laid off the year before.
According to Hadfield, the training provided him with a form of mental discipline that he could apply to all aspects of life. Even when there are a lot of people in the elevator, he continues to plan for the worst-case scenario. This does not imply that you should constantly be anxious, but it is best to be prepared for everything that may come your way.
Lesson 2: Space explorers must be able to handle criticism, and you can too.
When I was younger, I had leaders who imparted to me the wisdom that successful people not only are open to correction but actively sought it out. Even though this may appear to be a challenging task, there are many advantages to completing it.
For example, if you work for NASA, you are subjected to continual criticism of your job. If you want to practice a variety of different settings until you have mastered them, you are going to have to.
Dozens of people watch simulations closely in order to identify and correct any errors. The astronauts’ safety is directly proportional to the number of faults they successfully correct while simply training.
This is analogous to making excellence a priority in your own life and work. If you want to reach your full potential and become truly extraordinary, you have to put in the effort to fail at whatever it is that you’re trying to achieve. If you want to get better, it follows that you should be open to receiving all kinds of feedback, even the critical kind.
It is also important to be able to take corrections properly when working in a group setting as astronauts do. When confronted with significant challenges, the group can only rely on one another for support. In addition, if you are unable to accept constructive criticism from your teammates, it will be difficult for you to collaborate effectively in situations in which your lives are in danger.
To apply this theory, however, you do not need to be a member of a crew that is traveling to space. No matter what it is that you do for a job, you should always make an effort to be open to the ideas and opinions of those in your family as well as those on your work team.
Lesson 3: Astronauts struggle to return from space, but the experience changes them.
If you think the journey into space is challenging, just wait till you hear about the journey out. It will blow your mind. The sole vehicle that can go to and from the International Space Station is the Soyuz spacecraft, which originates from Russia. And the landings, which can take up to an hour, are known for their turbulence.
During one landing in 2008, Yuri Malenchenko recalls that the parachute that was supposed to slow the craft caught fire and burned to ashes. This was not the intended outcome. Even though everyone made it out alive, the location where they actually landed was quite a ways off from where they were intended to be.
After returning home from a mission in space, it can be challenging to readjust to daily life on Earth. The muscles in your body will weaken if you are in an environment with zero gravity. When you get down to earth, however, the burden of just being there might be difficult to bear.
Because your body isn’t used to bearing its own weight, even sitting down is difficult and uncomfortable for you.
According to Hadfield, the experience of returning to Earth after witnessing the splendor of space is transformative on a personal level even though it may not appear to be so at first.
After a successful mission, being back on the ground revitalizes him. It’s fascinating to see the world through his fresh new eyes, which offer a new perspective. The takeaway from this is that you shouldn’t be afraid of trying new things, even if you think they might be challenging, because doing so can greatly alter how you view life.
To Whom Should I Recommend This Book?
- The young man, aged 22, is thinking of a career as an astronaut but first wants to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of such a choice.
- The individual is 55 years old and is fascinated by the prospect of traveling to and returning from space.
- As well as anyone who has an inquisitive mind and a desire to have a fulfilling life.
An Astronaut’s Guide To Life On Earth Book Review
What a fantastic and captivating piece of literature! The book “An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth” is perfect for me since not only do I enjoy learning about space, but I also enjoy reading analogies that discuss how to lead a more fulfilling life. However, this book is a fantastic read regardless of what you think about astronaut life.
