Tuesday, July 20, 1999

Reaching higher

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.
-- John F. Kennedy

Thirty years ago today the world excitedly watched the successful culmination of one of the greatest adventures of all time. On July 20, 1969, after a quarter-million-mile journey, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin stepped out onto the lunar surface and walked around on another world.

Through determination, focus, effort, sacrifice, and teamwork, the objective of sending people to the moon was met. It gave us confidence, knowledge, know-how, experience, technology and set in motion a spirit of possibility, exploration and achievement that continues to make a positive difference in the world today.

Technology, innovation and adventurous spirit are certainly not infallible. But on the whole, we’re a lot better off with them than without. Some things are worth doing simply for the challenge. We need those things, and we need the people who take the risks to achieve them. They challenge us all to find the best within ourselves. They encourage us all to raise our standards and to more fully explore our possibilities.

On this special anniversary we celebrate the dreamers, the pioneers, the explorers who compel us to set our sights ever higher. At its best, life is about doing what has never been done, making the impossible possible. May we never lose the desire or the ability to go after the toughest challenges.

— Ralph Marston

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Copyright ©1999 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. All Rights Reserved. The Daily Motivator is provided for your personal, non-commercial use only. Other than personal sharing, please do not re-distribute without permission.