“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.
Rich Largman
Empire of Hope 
My intention is that by the end of 2010 I will have a book on the best-seller list.
My earliest recollection of writing was when I was 12 years old and I wrote a poem about the American spirit found in the minutemen of Lexington and Concord. A year later, a poem I wrote about dreams was published in my junior high school year book, alongside a poem by Langston Hughes! As time went on, my interest in writing grew. In 12th grade, my English teacher asked us to keep a journal for 1 semester. 25 years later, I still have that journal and am still writing in it.
I have always had a desire to publish a book. Not only to receive the acknowledgement that my writing is good enough, but more importantly to inspire the hopes, dreams, thoughts and awareness of more people. After receiving untold numbers of compliments about my writing, I have finally decided that my writing is good and inspires others. I am now ready to share it with the rest of the world. As one of my coaching mentors once told me, “Rich, you are one of the best kept secrets there is!” 10 years later, I am finally ready to let the world in on the secret. It started here with the website. I look forward to my first book signing!
Love it…love it…love it!!!! Good for you for STEPPING OUT and sharing more of yourself with the world! Yipppeeee!!!!
THANK YOU so much Rich for BEING who you truly are – inspiring, impactful, and intentional!
You inspire me and my intention is to have a wonderful web presense that is fun, inspiring, and makes an impact on others’ lives.
I too have been told that I’m the best kept secret…Here’s to being fully out there and playing on the Universal playground!
Hi Rich,
I just wanted to say how much I love your new website! It is beautiful, clear, clean and bright! Thank you for all of the love and hope you offer to everyone!
Wishing you all the best!
Kimberly