subject: Jfk Wanted Us To Go To The Moon. - Employee Development [print this page] 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
President John F. Kennedy said the above quote and though we went to the moon in 1969, the bigger accomplishment was telling we have the power to do things and we are capable of wielding that power. Today, knowing we have that power can help us survive the economic downturn.
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.
Patriotic Development TM is sometimes used interchangeably with "passion development." What are you passionate about? Most people are passionate about the things that truly matter: their beliefs, their loved ones, their history and the things that make them who they are. Our most inspiring leaders, the ones we honor with reelections "" like President Clinton and Reagan "" have a way of identifying our strongest passions and helping us to make great things happen for the country.
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.
