Will You Make It?

Sian Proctor is a scientist and a poet who was among the first civilians that got to fly into space. She was the first Black woman to pilot a spacecraft, and one of only four Black female Americans to ever get to see the Earth from above.

In a short interview on NPR that you should definitely listen to, Sian talked about the legacy she wanted her trip to leave.

“I really want to have the message out there that you can become a pilot, you can go to the stars. But not only for people of color and girls of color, but for those of us I call seasoned individuals too. I’ve been chasing space my entire life, and it took me 50 plus years to get here, but I made it.”

I encourage you to listen to this 3-minute interview to hear Sian say those three last words. When I heard her say that for the first time, I burst into tears because I understand exactly how she feels.

To me, when I accomplish a dream — whether it’s running the New York City Marathon for the first time or getting a client the book deal of their dreams — I don’t care when or how it happens, just that it does. Making it is what matters to me. Those goals could take months or years. The timing could be great or awful. The execution could be super easy or really challenging. What I’ve learned is that none of that matters in the end, because what’s important is also really easy.