With all of the hubbub over the 40th anniversary of the moon landing a few weeks ago, it got me thinking about what it takes to achieve something great. On July 20, 1969, two men who walked on the moon changed the world; it was the first time mankind had ever set foot on a planetary body other than the Earth. It was an event that united a world in turmoil and represented the pinnacle of mankind’s ability to achieve greatness.
But just four days before one of the most historical events in our collective history, there were just three guys sitting on a launch pad in a capsule smaller than a Hummer truck. Three men who had no idea if their rocket ship would be able to get them to the moon, who had no idea if they’d be able to land (and not crash) on the moon, and no idea if they’d be able to leave the moon and return to earth. All they knew was that they were going to give it their best shot.
Can you imagine that? Just picture sitting on top of one of the most combustible vehicles ever created, not knowing if you were going to succeed or fail, but going out there and doing it anyway, because you were more afraid of not trying than of failing. If that kind of courage isn’t inspiring, I don’t know what is. I guess that’s why they’re still celebrating the moon landing 40 years later.
It makes me wonder: were those astronauts some kind of superhuman heroes, or just people who truly had the strength of their convictions? Just imagine if everyone had the courage that those three men did; people would accomplish almost everything they set out to. Because in the end, while it’s true that you won’t fail if you don’t try, you also won’t succeed if you don’t try. If Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins had decided that they were too afraid to try and walk on the moon, the world might be a very different place today. What are you missing out on by not trying for something great?
After all, as the saying goes: “Shoot for the moon. If you miss, you’ll still land among the stars.”
