Fifty years ago, I was in London, England – 16 years old at the time. Our parents woke my sisters and I up to make sure we had the opportunity to witness the moon landing – the ultimate result of thinking it could be done.
My father was a firm believer in thinking that you can will help you produce the outcomes you want. He held his ‘impossible’ dream for twenty years, and it’s what finally landed him on his moon goal: living and working on the African continent.
In both our personal and professional lives, we face that task or goal that has us questioning can I/we really do this?
There are circumstances that we believe are stumbling blocks: a previously failed mission, the big hill you have a hard time climbing. We’re not strong enough, big enough – perhaps even too big and heavy to move from where we are to where we need to be.
Remember the children’s story The Little Engine That Could?
Who doesn’t need to be reminded of the possibilities that await when we decide and determine that we can?!
Is attitude everything? No, of course not. But how many of us set out on a task telling ourselves it’s not possible before we have even taken our first step?
What’s the name of your moon goal? Do YOU think you can land there?
If leaders don’t embrace the possibilities with enthusiasm and an inclusive action plan, how do we expect our team members to do so?
And the little boy in the picture, who looks like he’s contemplating pulling that big kayak behind him? He’s my late father’s great-grandson. I sure hope he learns to believe he can!
Think you can and let’s pull that kayak, climb that hill, moonwalk, together!
