The Artemis II astronauts returned from the dark side of the moon last month, and astronaut Christina Koch said this about the return:
“Re-entry is at least 10 times wilder of an experience than any rocket launch.”
In order to launch, the shuttle must be propelled with enough explosives to overcome Earth’s gravity. It hits 1,000 mph in the first minute and keeps accelerating until it reaches orbit. Astronauts have described it as insanely loud, overwhelmingly shaky, and with a force that feels like someone is sitting on your chest.
What could be 10x wilder than that?
Gravity
Where the launch away from Earth was all about resisting gravity, the return was all about riding it.
Gravity is a celestial force of attraction, and it is always attracting:
🌎 Earth’s gravity attracts our feet to the ground
☀️ Sun’s gravity attracts Earth into a 365-day orbit
🌕 Moon’s gravity attracts our oceans to create our tides
For the astronaut’s return, all they had to do was get into the flow of gravity. First, they rode the Moon’s gravity, which slingshotted them back in the direction of Earth without the need for fuel. And then once they entered Earth’s gravitational force, it pulled them all the way back home. The return was all about letting gravity work its magic!
And it turns out it is 10x wilder to ride gravity than to resist it.
I watched the press conference held 6 days after the astronauts’ return. Gravity physically held them to their chairs, but energetically, they were levitating. There was a high you could feel through the screen. As cool as it must have been to see the dark side of the moon, their enthusiasm didn’t end there. They were excited to get to work planning for next.
The Secret to 10x Wilder
And it got me thinking, if gravity is the celestial force of attraction that makes everything 10x wilder, what’s our personal equivalent?
I wrote recently about how I have lived a life obsessed with opportunity. Having lived most of my life for the thrill of the chase, I am contemplating how to chase less and attract more.
While I feel really proud of so many things I’ve accomplished over the past few years, it’s mixed with tinges of disappointment for opportunities that seemed so promising but never fully formed. I am struck by the fact that my ideas outweigh my capacity. I am impatient in the process of literally everything. And I crave a force of attraction so strong that it makes the experience 10x wilder.
As I reflect on my own experiences, I am also looking for clues to the obvious all around me. From the astronauts’ collective experience, all I can see is an invitation to double down on what you love and become absolutely delighted by it.
Gravity is the celestial force of attraction.
Enthusiasm is our personal force of attraction.
What if our own personal force of attraction that makes everything 10x wilder is that simple?
Delight.
I’ve tapped into it before, and I’m sure you have too. So tell me, what thrills you? What are you so enthusiastic about that you practically levitate?
This is so insightful. On a completely different take: what this got me thinking about is that it took a lot of energy to get to the moon, but they were able to coast back down and enjoy the ride in the glow of a massive mission accomplished. Isn’t that like most things in life, you put in the hard work first? I often forget to celebrate accomplishments, big and small, thank you for the reminder. Life is wild!
Your gorgeous voice and this metaphor felt sooo delightful 💚 thank you!