From the time I was a little girl, I remember being fascinated with space. In 2nd grade, we studied the planets, the solar system, and all about the first moon landing. At that time, a comet appeared in the night sky, and we built model rockets that we launched during a fun night at my school in honor of the comet. My 8-year-old self wanted to be an astronaut. A dream I’ve never fully let go of, but my lack of skills in math kind of hinder my chances at it. But I digress. The point is, I think we’ve all, looked up at the night sky and wondered at the majesty of it all. Amazed at the expanse, and likely feeling very small in comparison.
It’s at times like this when we look back to 50 years ago and the very first moon landing that I think we all take an introspective look at our lives. We’re astounded at the innovation and the work that went to getting Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin onto the moon. They had less computing power in the entire spacecraft than we have right now on our phones. They had to literally create rocket science, just a couple generations removed from the first airplane flight. It’s incredible what they were able to accomplish to make this historic moment happen. And now, even 50 years later, it’s no less amazing.
It’s these historic moments and anniversaries when I look at life and wonder what my footprint will be. The moon landing 50 years ago obviously left a literal footprint in the sky on a body other than Earth, and a footprint across history. There’s many goals and things I want to accomplish that I hope make my footprint meaningful. I’m sure we all feel this way. But I think the key in this is to always keep dreaming.
In my job, I work constantly to try and make things better for small businesses. We offer suggestions that can be turned into action items and hopefully lead to progress. Boostability’s literal tag line is to help small businesses succeed online. I find it incredibly satisfying to do what I view as rewarding work. It might not change the world, but if it helps one small business to improve their day-to-day operations, then I’m satisfied.
I think we all need to find these moments of inspiration and satisfaction in what we’re doing. The dream of President John F. Kennedy made the moon landing possible. He challenged what we could do, with an added measure of beating the Russians. Do you have a dream or a goal like this that keeps driving you forward? I frequently talk with small business owners with unbelievable passions for their craft. They’re experts at what they do, and it shows through their work. I don’t think I’ve met a business owner yet who is not passionate about what they do. And it’s their goal to share those passions and meet the needs of those around them that keeps them driving forward. These business owners make the most of their footprints.
It’s a lesson we can all learn. Perhaps we’re not a business owner. And perhaps we’re not as passionate about our craft as those I’ve described. But the point here, is that it’s crucial to keep on dreaming and to keep making a difference in the world. Keep on striving for the things that make life meaningful. We likely will never make our mark on history like Neil Armstrong and the people who worked at NASA during the 1960s to make the moon landing possible. But that doesn’t mean we can’t make a difference to those around us. For business owners, they make a difference for the customers they serve. As friends and neighbors, we can help one another out. I’m feeling aspirational, but perhaps with just a little more effort to work towards these dreams, we can leave a better collective footprint on our world.
As America’s space program developed, I’m sure there were many who wondered if they would actually be able to make it to the moon by the end of the decade. I’m sure they wondered if what the President tasked them to do could even be possible. How many times have you felt like that as a business owner or as just an individual? That’s part of life. But they overcame these difficulties. And so can we in our business, in our lives, and in our interactions with others. Very rarely does a problem end up being completely insurmountable.
So what’s the point of all this? Perhaps, it’s just my reminiscing on what the first lunar landing means to me. But perhaps, it’s something we’ve all considered as we’ve seen the mark of innovation and inspiration created by these brave men and women who helped put man on the moon. We’ve put several men on the moon. We’re working to put humans on an entirely different planet within the next decade or so. It’s amazing what we can accomplish! What will you do?
