Think you're stressed out,? Try landing on the moon.

40 years ago today, as half a billion people watched in awe on their tiny (by today's standards) T.V. screens, Apollo 11 landed on the surface of the moon. A feat so incredible, there are still those who believe that it was all an elaborate hoax (I won't dishonor the memory of the lunar landing, by giving any credence to this theory). Just two years earlier, on January 27, 1967, a flash fire occurred in the Apollo 1 command module during a launch simulation, killing the three astronauts meant to pilot the mission. I imagine that Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins were keenly aware of this, as they prepared to embark on a mission which had never been attempted, let alone accomplished. Despite the exhaustive training and preparation, NASA really had no idea what to expect. What must have been going through the minds of those astronauts as they made the three and a half day journey to moon? Watching the Earth grow smaller and smaller out the bay window, the significance of what they were about to do had to be weighing heavily on their minds. Among the distractions the astronauts had to deal with were the sounding alarms when the ship's computer couldn't keep up with the data stream. As they approached the lunar surface, Neil Armstrong made a decision to take manual control of the lunar lander to select a safer landing spot, all with only about twenty seconds of fuel remaining.

Nine months later, on April 11, 1970, Apollo 13 was launched for another trip to the moon. Two days into their mission, a fault in the electrical system of one of the service module oxygen tanks produced an explosion which caused a loss of electrical power and failure of both oxygen tanks. Fortunately the command module remained functional on its own batteries and oxygen tank, which were only designed to support the vehicle during the last hours of flight. The mission was aborted and the crew was forced to shut down the command module and use the lunar module as a "lifeboat" during the return trip to earth. Despite the great hardship caused by limited power, loss of cabin heat, and a shortage of potable water, the crew managed to return safely to Earth.

Between the first and last lunar mission in December 1972, The United States managed to make it to the moon and back six times. No other country has ever successfully landed a man on the moon. The moon landings remain a testament to the drive, resilience and human ingenuity of the men and women of this great country.

So the next time you're struggling with a bad day or worrying about all which lies ahead, look up at at the moon, take a deep breath and know that you can handle anything the world throws at you.