LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
You ’ ve Got To Be Able
To Land
What Buzz Aldrin Secretly Shared With Me After Asking Him The Question He Hates But Constantly Gets Asked
I
’ ll never forget the day I met Buzz Aldrin . At our annual member event that we call the IT Sales And Marketing Boot Camp , I hired him to deliver a keynote speech to an audience of roughly 1,000 MSPs . Standing off to the side and watching him speak gave me chills . Here , on my stage , was a true , living legend — a bona fide American hero and passionate public servant who had dedicated his life to big achievements and the betterment of mankind through scientific breakthroughs .
I was very fortunate to spend several hours with him back in the hotel suite , where he talked about his life and history , but more importantly , his continued big plans for going to Mars — a dream he talked about with the unbridled excitement of a 6-year-old boy on Christmas Eve , even though he was 86 years “ young ” at the time . His T-shirt read , “ Get Your Ass To Mars .”
After we ’ d talked for a while , I asked him a question that I ’ m sure he hates : Does it bother you that you will always be known as the second guy to walk on the moon ?
His reply was pure Buzz ( and I ’ m paraphrasing from memory ): “ If I hadn ’ t been able to successfully and safely land the module , no one would have been able to walk on the moon that day .”
There ’ s brilliance in that answer . In business , we , too , have to be able to “ land ” if we are going to succeed . In sales , we have to be able to land the sale . As owners , we have to be able to land our business plans , or they ’ re nothing but a wishful dream . We have to be able to land the key employee . We have to be able to land the interview , land the appointment , land the deal . Anyone can hope , wish , or dream about going to our own proverbial moon , but only those who can build a ship that will sustain the journey and land it get to enjoy fame and fortune .
Another big takeaway I got from Buzz is to think big . It seems to me far too many people have meek ambition . They want to just “ get by ,” happy to be “ good enough ” and maintain the status quo . Sad . One of the greatest burdens to mankind is unfulfilled potential . Henry David Thoreau correctly observed that “ the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation .” How is that possible when the masses have their most fundamental needs met ? A safe home , food to eat , entertainment on demand , and a warm bed to sleep in . What desperation could they feel ? The desperation of a meaningless , purposeless life they are meandering through .
Human beings extract meaning from setting big goals and putting our full and complete effort behind our achievement , not by “ taking it easy ” or “ getting by .” We gain self-respect , confidence , and pride by going after something big . We ’ re inspired by people who seek excellence , achieve great things , and overcome impossible circumstances . A good question for you to ponder is this : What is your moon shot ? What big goal or goals do you have for your life ? Your business ? Your wealth ? Your health ?
An easy , uneventful life is not all that exciting to live , and most of what you can get by setting your goals and standards low isn ’ t worth having . Big dreams — big goals — pull you forward and give you purpose . For when you are truly giving it your all , you will succeed and you will win .
Sincerely ,
Founder & CEO Technology Marketing Toolkit , Inc
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