I recently watched the movie First Man, about Neil Armstrong and the United States’ achievement of landing men on the moon and safely returning them to Earth.

This movie reminded me of the tremendous effort undertaken to meet the challenge President John F. Kennedy made.

On May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy announced before a special joint session of Congress the dramatic and ambitious goal of sending an American safely to the Moon before the end of the decade. President Kennedy said this:

“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. No single space project will be more exciting, or more impressive to mankind, or more important and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish…”

A number of political factors affected Kennedy’s decision and its timing. In general, Kennedy felt tremendous pressure to have the United States “catch up to and overtake” the Soviet Union in the “space race. “

He stated these actions were necessary for success.

• • All of us must work to get him there.
  • A unified commitment by Congress and the country to take a new course of action and to ensure every action we take is necessary and contributes to achieving the goals.
  • We must commit to the tremendous cost necessary to achieve this goal.
  • We should understand the danger of not going all the way. Kennedy said that if we are not committed to doing so, we should not attempt it.
  • We should all be willing to do the hard work necessary. If we are not willing, we shouldn’t attempt it.

A series of incremental goals were necessary to create and test the equipment and technology to achieve the overriding goal of putting men on the Moon.

Many required technologies were in their infancy or did not exist when Kennedy made his speech. The development of these systems required significant advancements in materials science, computer technology, and engineering, making the Moon landing one of the most ambitious technological undertakings in human history.

The entire story of what occurred after Kennedy’s speech culminating in the Apollo 11 mission is filled with many leadership lessons. This effort demonstrated the power of a leader with a vision who consults with knowledgeable people to confirm its validity, gains buy-in to make it a unified team vision, and inspires and empowers a competent team committed to the necessary hard work.

The problems, failures, and even the loss of human lives were overcome by everyone drive to give their best talents to achieve a common goal. A goal that, in the end, created national pride and contributed to the advancement of science.

As I recalled the story of Apollo 11, I thought about something that resonated with me. You should not engage in self-limiting thought. To overcome this, you must suspend the fear of going in a direction you have never gone.

Apollo 11 would have never reached the Moon if those involved said, “We can’t do that. There is too much we don’t know.” Instead, they focused on what they needed to know to achieve the ultimate goal and went about learning, creating, and achieving.

A growth mindset is one you adopt that affirms your ability to improve and achieve. This mindset helps remove self-limiting thoughts and overcome the fear of moving in a new direction.

A growth mindset will:

• • Increase your ability to change.
  • It will help you innovate, adapt, and overcome
  • It will help you overcome the fear of failing.
  • Enforce the value of being a part of a team that challenges you and each other.
  • Allow you to empower and trust people to help you with your improvement.

Masonry provides a framework of intellectual and moral improvement, reinforces the concept of a growth mindset, and, when dutifully practiced, removes self-limiting thoughts.

The next time you say, “I can’t do that. There is too much I don’t know,” remember you are a Mason, and Masons seek knowledge. Be a Mason.

 Have a Great Masonic Day!