Monday, March 23, 2009

Escape V














Escape velocity was one of the few Physics theories I was able to understand in Sec. School, and I like it more as I read The 8th Habit (this book is too much) by Stephen R. Covey (this man is too much):

Q: I find it’s almost impossible for me to change my habits. Is this realistic? Am I unique?

A: You are not alone. Let me explain why.
Where do you think the most power and energy is expended on [a] journey into space? Going a quarter of a million miles to the moon? Returning to earth? Orbiting the moon? Separating and redocking the lunar and command modules? Lifting off the moon?

No, not any of these. Not even in all of these together. It was lifting off from Earth. More energy was spent in the first few minutes of liftoff from Earth-in the first few miles of travel-than was used in half a million miles for several days.

The gravity pull of those first few miles was enormous. It took an internal thrust greater than both the pull of gravity and atmosphere resistance to finally break out into orbit. But once they did break out, it took almost no power to do all those other things. In fact, when one of the astronauts was asked how much power was expended when the lunar module separated from the command module to go down and survey the moon, he answered, “Less than the breath of a baby.”

This lunar voyage provides a powerful metaphor for describing what it takes to break out of old habits and create new ones… If you will simply start down the pathway of Finding Your Voice and Inspiring Others to Find Theirs and stick with it, you will develop the power of this new habit to grow and change in today’s world of tremendous challenge, complexity and opportunity.