We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too
John F. Kennedy
The JFK “We choose to go to the Moon” quote is one of my favorite quotes. It leaves me disappointed often though as so many times the best part is left out. I love the words “not because they are easy, but because they are hard.” Things that are worthwhile, moments that inspire us, and dreams we thrive on are usually hard. Doing the hard things, the things that make us sweat and grieve and fight, the moments fueled by our determination and grit, those are the moments that define us, form us, and give us the strength to grow.
This spring I started my Women’s Cohort full stack development Bootcamp. As I did it, I started a new job, work travels picked back up, Mike and I got COVID, two years’ worth of summer fun hit and I got behind. As I looked into catching up, feeling shaky about the basics that I had been through, the opportunity to start over was offered. I took it. I started back from the beginning two weeks ago.
I don’t think I was as honest with myself as I could have been about how hard this would be. Committing 15-20 hours a week for 10 months, on top of a full-time job, above cooking meals, cleaning up, and being an adult, in addition to making sure I eat healthily, get some exercise, and take care of myself. Here is the reality… it’s really hard.
The truth, in the moment, I don’t always want to. I want to curl up and listen to music and read a book. I want to play video games or take a walk. I’m tired from looking at a screen all day. Dinner needs to be made, dishes are piling up and I wish I was just on a beach somewhere able to ignore it all.
But we don’t stop just because it’s hard. We don’t let hard stand in the way. We harness it and use it to propel us onward.
Becoming The Demo 