President Kennedy at Rice University, 1962
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 J. F. Kennedy
On September 12, 1962, President John F. Kennedy announced to the world that the United States was going to accelerate its efforts in the space program and that we would be the first nation to expand learning and understanding outside of our home planet. He admitted to the crowd gathered at Rice University that, as a nation, we were falling behind in the space race, and had experienced failures along the way. Yet, he vowed that we would not be behind much longer and that our quest to be a leader in space exploration would be hard, it would cost money, but that we could get it done. What ensued were extraordinary advancements in knowledge and understanding in the sciences that has allowed us to see and live in a world that we could not have envisioned back in 1962. In hindsight, we realize the weight and importance of President Kennedy’s words and I am in awe of his leadership to take us farther than we were ready or maybe even willing to go – and because it was hard.
Doing things that are hard is not just for world leaders. Each of us face our own journeys to the moon. But, we don’t all choose to do what is hard. Mostly, we choose to face the hard things at a later time, or decide that it’s not meant to be. I admit that there are a couple of things that I expect to do – one day, hope I will do – one day, dream of doing – one day. The reasons I give for not pursuing the hard things are timing, lack of resources, lack of time, not enough experience – but in the end, I am not doing them because they are hard.
Getting started on things that are hard is not the problem. At least for me. I know that somewhere in my computer is an outline and the beginning of a chapter for the book I want to write one day. If getting started were the obstacle, well, it wasn’t a big one. The truly hard part is what comes next. Doing things that are hard requires laser-like focus, extraordinary discipline, endurance, sacrifice, and an unwavering belief that you will succeed.
You can say that I only dipped my toe in the pool of my dream to be a writer. So what does that say about my commitment? Is my dream really a dream or a mere fantasy? People that pursue their dreams go all-in. My friend dreamed of getting her Master’s degree so she did everything required to get into the program, including taking a course in statistics – a subject she was not confident she would pass. She studied hard and completed the course with excellent grades. She then retired from her job, relocated to another state, and focused on her Master’s studies. She did what was hard – was focused, disciplined, she sacrificed and had faith, and she was successful.
President Kennedy was not half-way committed to the space program. His remarks said nothing like, if we have the money, if we succeed at step one we will consider step two, when we are stronger, richer, better, we will. Every American who heard that speech understood that America was on this hard journey – and that it would successful get to the moon.
As we start our week into Thanksgiving, a time when we reflect on our blessings and share our good fortune with family, let’s be aware of the decisions we make, and commit ourselves to doing what is hard.
Much Love and Happy Holidays,
Here is a link to President Kennedy’s speech
Yaya Speaks 