Helping Companies Rethink, Recover & Refocus on the Future

Last night, I watched the movie "First Man" again.  The dramatic film is a biopic of the legendary American Astronaut Neil Armstrong's life from 1961-1969, on his journey to becoming the first human to walk the moon.  It explores the Nation and Neil's sacrifices and costs during one of the most dangerous missions in space travel history.  It depicts the magnitude of risk from Armstrong's perspective that captures mixed emotions' intensity regarding taking big chances in life.

In particular, one scene shows the letter prepared for the U.S. President to read to the public if the astronauts become stranded alive on the moon's surface.  Getting to the moon was not as challenging as returning safely back to earth. The movie also blends the social challenges of that time in history with the scientific commitment to something that would benefit humanity for generations to come.

From a personal perspective, there is much to unpack.  Do you see opportunities and admire the potential from the safety of your comfort zone (earth).  Or, do you see an opportunity (space) and get an irresistible urge to leap?  As we begin in 2021, ask yourself a powerful question.  Am I an astronaut or an astronomer?

Astronomers are those who study the objects in the sky, including planets, galaxies, black holes, and stars.  It is essential since someone must be on the lookout for big things on a collision course with our precious earth.  They use telescopes and cameras to observe the stars and other objects in the sky. They often use complicated math to make predictions and solve puzzles about their movements and locations.

Astronauts are those who travel in space.  While the term was for military-trained professionals, recent accessibility of space travel has seen the term astronaut now refers to anyone traveling in a spacecraft, including civilians.

When it comes to opportunities in 2021, will you be a spectator or a player?  Will you be an astronomer or an astronaut?  I want you to consider the question seriously.  What are you willing to risk to be successful?  Following is one of my favorite quotes for perspective.

["It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at best knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." — Teddy Roosevelt]

Will you start playing the game of life?  Or will you remain a spectator?  This question applies to all aspects of your life.  Your personal, spiritual, familial, or professional life can be the lens through which you make important decisions this year.

Will you watch others succeed or fail?  Or will you take the risk to serve others?  You will face many opportunities this year, and the choice is your own.  Will you say yes to the threat, or will you remain in the comfort of the present?  The desire to be successful (however you define it) is not enough.  You must be willing to take risks and get in the game.  People willing to risk injury (failure), and pains are those who win.

"Actions speak louder than words, and these words should be your mantra. Nobody will work hard for your dreams or ideas, and neither are they buying something you plan to do. Remember, no lives are improved just by thinking about the required improvement. In becoming a doer, you transform from an observer into someone who is living their life. You will stand above most of the people who are still talking about what they plan to do. Every one of you with thinking capabilities had an idea that could change the course of life, but the fear of practicing the idea has robbed you of your real potential." - Mehak Fatima

Far too many people complain about life's circumstances.  I was born poor, or my parents divorced.  I am from a small town, English is my second language, or we are in a global pandemic.  Blah, blah, blah!  These are all excuses to remain...

Finish reading to become an astronaut