This week the world will be remembering the passing of John Fitzgerald Kennedy. The 35th President of the United States of America. The only US President to have earned both a Purple Heart and a Pulitzer Prize.
JFK was known for many things – before, during and especially after his Presidency. A few of them are Civil Rights, Foreign Policy and The Moon Shot. That’s what I want to talk about here… Moon Shots!
To paraphrase a quote from JFK about moon shots:
“We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.” – President John F. Kennedy, September 12, 1962
JFK was a war hero and award winning author. He challenged himself and he challenged the United States to reach for the stars (literally). He challenged the United States to be the First to put a Man on the Moon.
I submit that everyone has their own Moon Shot in mind. Perhaps it’s a fleeting idea or perhaps it’s something you have dreamed about for your whole life. But everyone has their Moon Shot idea.
Every moon shot matters
No matter how big or small… Every Moon Shot Matters.
Every time you take a shot at something big it builds you up in some way. Although you may not be successful in each attempt, the lessons learned will stay with you. As you continue to learn and grow, your skills grow with you. These are skills that help you stand out in your career and stand out in life. Every shot teaches you something. Keep trying. Keep shooting. Keep dreaming.
“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” – Hockey great, Wayne Gretzky
Do you remember the moon shot?
I think it would be almost impossible not to know that humans HAVE walked on the moon (with the exception of a few conspiracy theorists) which means JFK’s Moon Shot Dream was a success. But it was bigger than JFK. There were thousands of people involved — both directly in all the science and logistics to make it happen and indirectly in the psyches of the 203 million people in the USA in 1969.
For me… I was 5-1/2 years old on July 20, 1969 when Neil Armstrong was the first human to step on the moon. I still remember seeing it on a Black & White Television.
JFK’s dream was put forth in September of 1962. His dream did not die with him. In fact, the people working towards his dream may have been emboldened and inspired by his death. His dream was realized and is still being talked about 50 years later. Why? Because people want to be part of something bigger than themselves. To be a part of history. To contribute. To put their fingerprints on it.
“Everyone wants a shot at building something, or being a part of something. It feels amazing to be doing so.” – Julien Smith, Author
I hope people are still talking about something (anything) I had done 50 years after my death.
Not everyone can be a JFK. He was born with privilege (and with pain too). JFK was anomaly, but EVERYONE has something that can contribute. Everyone has their own Moon Shot Idea.
What’s your dream?
- When will you start preparing for your Moon Shot?
- Have you started already? Even if only in your head?
What will your moon shot be?
It can be as grandiose and ambitious as an actual Moon Shot (or Mars Shot … think Elon Musk) or it can be something equally challenging and huge for you.
Remember… every moon shot matters.
