Not long ago, I heard a special radio broadcast that included interviews from people like you and me who reminisced about where they were when Apollo 11 landed on the moon. It was fascinating to hear everyone's memories. (I have searched NPRs website to find a link to the program to no avail. If anyone out there does know where to find this broadcast, shoot me a link.)
The program got me to thinking about the glory of the goal. As we look back now, it is easy to see that the race to the moon was all about the journey, and the side benefits of even attempting the journey, more than the destination itself. Buzz Aldrin talked about how they had computer problems during the mission, and I wondered what they learned from having to deal with those problems. I wondered how many other technological advances came about due to the grand goal of using brainpower, ingenuity, creative thinking, problem solving, and modern technology to get to the moon. Talk about aiming high!
There's a great website I learned about recently called "Do Hard Things," started by a couple of young guys who just wanted to challenge themselves and others to not take the easy way out. By challenge themselves and others to "do hard things," they have started what they call a "rebelution" to get kids away from the Beavis, Butthead, and Simpson generation and into a new era of young people who want more than the path of least resistance has to offer.
A while back, I was talking with a friend who was going through some tough marriage problems. She said that she had concluded with that very same thought, "It's not about my personal happiness," she told me, "It's about the journey and completing it well."
The race to the moon yielded countless technological discoveries and advances. I find myself challenged to ask what kind of moon I can aim for and what I might discover in my attempt to make it there!
Showing posts with label courage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label courage. Show all posts
5/7/09
Do it Scared
Linda is my hero.
She is a self-confessed 'fraidy cat! She plays the violin but is terrified to play for anyone but her plants. She is one of the funniest people I know, but she's petrified of speaking in front of a crowd. She has visions of saving the world, but she's happiest working in her studio where she paints and does pottery.
Linda is afraid of everything.
But she is not afraid to face down fear. A few years ago, she picked up her violin and determined to use her gifts anyway. She was visibly a nervous wreck the first few times she played. Her remedy? "Play harder!"
She has the audacity to call herself an artist and actually put her work out there for the whole world to see and critique. Though she's an introvert at heart, she went to every charity in town that our church supports to find out what they specifically need so that we can better support them.
How does she do it? Linda has a brilliant motto: DO IT SCARED.
She decided that if fear was always going to be a battle, she would just do it anyway and do it scared--whatever IT is.
I love that.
DO IT SCARED.
Is there something you need to "do scared" today? I have a whole list! Time to get started...
P.S. You can view Linda's beautiful artwork and pottery at www.lindakasun.com.
She is a self-confessed 'fraidy cat! She plays the violin but is terrified to play for anyone but her plants. She is one of the funniest people I know, but she's petrified of speaking in front of a crowd. She has visions of saving the world, but she's happiest working in her studio where she paints and does pottery.
Linda is afraid of everything.
But she is not afraid to face down fear. A few years ago, she picked up her violin and determined to use her gifts anyway. She was visibly a nervous wreck the first few times she played. Her remedy? "Play harder!"
She has the audacity to call herself an artist and actually put her work out there for the whole world to see and critique. Though she's an introvert at heart, she went to every charity in town that our church supports to find out what they specifically need so that we can better support them.
How does she do it? Linda has a brilliant motto: DO IT SCARED.
She decided that if fear was always going to be a battle, she would just do it anyway and do it scared--whatever IT is.
I love that.
DO IT SCARED.
Is there something you need to "do scared" today? I have a whole list! Time to get started...
P.S. You can view Linda's beautiful artwork and pottery at www.lindakasun.com.
12/22/08
Yes Man
I just went to see Jim Carey's new movie, "Yes Man," and YES, I recommend it. The main character makes a covenant to say "yes" to anything that comes his way. ANYTHING. Of course, the fun is in watching that idea played out to its ridiculous extreme, but I admit it really made me think about how playing it safe is a learned, and sometimes dangerous, behavior. Just a few weeks ago, Barry and I were getting ready for a trip, and in the madness of wrapping up work projects, arranging for the dog sitter, cleaning house, paying bills, and doing all kinds of last-minute errands, I suddenly remembered the days when I could just throw a change of clothes (or not), a clean pair of underwear (or not), and a toothbrush (or not) into a bag and GO!
For our honeymoon, we had a plane ticket to Greece and the first two hotel nights booked. That was it. And we had 4 weeks off! Nevermind that the trip turned out to be a total disaster. We've enjoyed years of storytelling mileage from it. And even though that trip ended with us literally panhandling on a German train to get back home to Amsterdam (long story), we have great, albeit quirky, memories--like waking up to a Mediterranean sunrise on a ship to Crete. Or like the waiter in Crete who kept giving us the "nudge, nudge, wink, wink" and asking us how many times we "did it" when he found out we were newlyweds. Or the old men who sat around the open squares gossiping and playing with worry beds. Or the lone mountain goats on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere. Australian hitchhikers who were grateful for a lift in our rental half-car. Bored cafe owners who would send us into the kitchen to point to our dinner selections. If we had not said yes to the disastrous bits,we'd have missed all the fun bits.
I can think of two reasons we learn to say no: 1) We are wiser. We've been there and done that, and we SHOULD say no, OR 2) We are afraid. We have been there and done that and we are scared. We're afraid to be vulnerable to hurt, pain, loss of control...whatever. Maybe the good thing about getting older is that if we are really honest, we can know when we are being wise and when we are just chickening out. I think risk-taking is probably like the "use it or lose principle" in exercise. The less risk we take, the less we are able to take. I'm going to work out my risk-taking muscle a little more by challenging myself to one new "yes" a day. I'll let you know how it goes.
For our honeymoon, we had a plane ticket to Greece and the first two hotel nights booked. That was it. And we had 4 weeks off! Nevermind that the trip turned out to be a total disaster. We've enjoyed years of storytelling mileage from it. And even though that trip ended with us literally panhandling on a German train to get back home to Amsterdam (long story), we have great, albeit quirky, memories--like waking up to a Mediterranean sunrise on a ship to Crete. Or like the waiter in Crete who kept giving us the "nudge, nudge, wink, wink" and asking us how many times we "did it" when he found out we were newlyweds. Or the old men who sat around the open squares gossiping and playing with worry beds. Or the lone mountain goats on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere. Australian hitchhikers who were grateful for a lift in our rental half-car. Bored cafe owners who would send us into the kitchen to point to our dinner selections. If we had not said yes to the disastrous bits,we'd have missed all the fun bits.I can think of two reasons we learn to say no: 1) We are wiser. We've been there and done that, and we SHOULD say no, OR 2) We are afraid. We have been there and done that and we are scared. We're afraid to be vulnerable to hurt, pain, loss of control...whatever. Maybe the good thing about getting older is that if we are really honest, we can know when we are being wise and when we are just chickening out. I think risk-taking is probably like the "use it or lose principle" in exercise. The less risk we take, the less we are able to take. I'm going to work out my risk-taking muscle a little more by challenging myself to one new "yes" a day. I'll let you know how it goes.
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