My favorite lecturer was Alan Bean, who flew on Apollo 12 and is one of the twelve guys who walked on the moon. After retiring from NASA, he became a painter. Alan's lecture was called "The Art of Space Exploration." He talked about the mistakes he'd made and how he learned to fix them. One lesson that took him a while to learn was that at a place like NASA you can only have an effect on certain things. You can't control who likes you. You can't control who gets assigned to flights or what NASA's budget is going to be next year. If you get caught up worrying about things you can't control, you'll drive yourself nuts. It's better to focus on the things right in front of you. Identify the places where you can have a positive impact. Concentrate there and let the rest take care of itself. The last thing Alan said to us was 'What most people want in life is to do something great. That doesn't happen often. Don't take it for granted. Don't be blasé about it. And don't blow it. A lot of times, believe it or not, people blow it. . Mike Massimino
About This Quote

As a man in his 60's, Alan Bean has lived a lifetime. He was born in 1926 and in the time he has been on this planet, he has seen the world change in leaps and bounds. He has seen wars, plagues, great advances in science and technology, wars again, and people's lives completely transformed by these changes. The world he remembers is one of fear and war.

Now, however, it is one of peace. As was pointed out by Nelson Mandela, "The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling but in rising every time we fall." The world that Alan Bean was born into is one that no longer exists. It is no longer fear-filled or at war.

It is peaceful and filled with hope for the future. When you are living in a peaceful time like the one that exists now, you must marvel at the fact that you can rise from your fall and get back up on your feet again to continue on your journey.

Source: Spaceman: An Astronauts Unlikely Journey To Unlock The Secrets Of The Universe

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