Jfk Wanted Us To “go To The Moon.” - Executive Coaching Services Job Satisfaction
“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…because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energy and skills.”
~ John F. Kennedy, September 12, 1962
The above quote is an excerpt from a speech given by President John F. Kennedy in 1962 and just as he said we could, in 1969 we did indeed go to the moon. What Kennedy was able to express was not only what we were able to do (had the power), but also what we were capable of doing (wielding that power). It is that concept of “capability” that can inspire us to achieve seemingly impossible goals today. Even if those “goals” are merely surviving the downturn in the economy of 2009.
Unfortunately, sometimes we feel so inadequate are on our own that we don’t even consider our history. The United States of America has had a history of overcoming challenges since its inception in the 18th Century. But how can we make an impact? How can we express our patriotism and personal courage in the 21st Century? Saying you love your country is kind of awkward. It’s like saying, “I love you Dad.” Who knows how your Dad would respond to that?! Maybe he’d make fun of you or maybe get entirely too mushy (even worse). But sometimes, you just have to say, “I love you Dad.” When my Dad got sick, I told him I loved him. When he got deathly ill, I said it again; just to make sure he had heard me. We shouldn’t have to wait until our country is deathly ill, or losing the values we’ve fought for before we can voice our patriotism and say “I love the United States of America.”
John Winthrop sailed to the New World in 1630 on something Ronald Reagan called a “tiny wooden boat.” Without knowing our grand future, he knew already the magnificence of America and he loved her. In 1776 13 British Colonies declared their independence under the leadership of a passionate General George Washington. In what is known as America’s second Revolution, President Lincoln fought passionately against the South and helped to save the Union against all odds. The last century was heavy with war, political resignations, recession, depression and a dot com bust. Yes, we love America and we have learned to fight every obstacle.
Loving America is understanding what we have endured in the past and believing in the dreams we can attain in the future. As Kennedy says, “We choose to go to the moon...” with our dreams, not because they are easy, but despite their difficulties. Our dreams not only add value to ourselves personally but to the entire country. Perhaps reaching for those dreams is a way to show our love for America; perhaps that is patriotism. Patriotic Development TM is recognizing our history, fighting for our futures and having every intention to succeed with our goals, just as we did with going to the moon.
President Bill Clinton once said, “There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by what is right with America.” President Ronald Reagan once said, “The hope of the world rests with America’s future. America’s future rests with us.” With a renewed confidence, let us begin that future today.
