“I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth.”
– President John F. Kennedy, May 25, 1961
In that brief yet bold statement, I believe President Kennedy made one of the clearest declarations of an intention ever made. What became possible as a result of that declaration was inspiringly demonstrated in the wee hours of July 21, 1969, when millions of children and adults from around the world were aroused from their slumbers to watch their fuzzy black-and-white TVs as Apollo 11 Commander Neil Armstrong floated from the lunar module and proclaimed, “That is one small step for man . . . one giant step for mankind.”
In that moment, I believe we proved to ourselves that anything is possible. Often, it is simply a marshalling of our resources and determination, and an unleashing of our human spirit, to make it so.
“I believe we possess all the resources and talents necessary. But the facts of the matter are that we have never made the national decisions or marshaled the national resources required for such leadership. . . . For while we cannot guarantee that we shall one day be first, we can guarantee that any failure to make this effort will make us last.”
Often, not trying what it is we dream or believe is our biggest failure. It is the doubting of our unlimited potential, more than anything else, that stops us.
“If we are to go only half way, or reduce our sights in the face of difficulty, in my judgment it would be better not to go at all.”
Whatever it is we choose to do in life, we should do it with confidence and a belief in ourselves. I think we often forget the human potential that was unleashed that day. It is a quality that once unleashed, is not something that suddenly disappears. It is now a part of all of us. Our job is to not shrink from the power such potential now blesses us with.
“But in a very real sense, it will not be one man going to the moon–if we make this judgment affirmatively, it will be an entire nation. For all of us must work to put him there.”
And most importantly, we must remember that the gifts brought forth from our individual declarations and intentions are meant to serve our species as a whole. Your gifts, when fully brought forth in the world, are a blessing to us all. Do not withhold them . . . and do not withhold the power of your intentions.
What intention will you bring to life this year? Declaring your intention is a good first step to bringing it to reality. Leave a comment declaring your intention and the difference it will make in your life and watch as it begins to unfold.
Empire of Hope 