One Question Can Change Your Life — and Humanity Itself
- Dr. Wil Rodriguez
- Jun 22
- 3 min read
A leadership story inspired by astronaut José M. Hernández
By Dr. Wil Rodriguez
From Earth to the Stars — One Step at a Time
José M. Hernández was born into a family of Mexican migrant farmworkers. He spent his childhood moving from place to place, working in the fields alongside his parents, often missing school and struggling with English.
At age 10, everything changed when he watched the Apollo 17 mission on television. As he saw astronauts walking on the moon, he pointed to the screen and said:
“That’s what I want to do.”
That one moment planted a vision inside him—a vision that would define the rest of his life.
Eleven Doors Shut
José didn’t just dream. He worked.
He studied engineering, earned his degrees, became a physicist, and began working at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. He built the credentials. He applied to NASA.
❌ Rejected.
❌ Rejected again.
❌ A third time.
❌ A fourth.
❌ A fifth.
❌ A sixth.
❌ A seventh.
❌ An eighth.
❌ A ninth.
❌ A tenth.
❌ An eleventh.
Eleven rejections. Eleven chances to give up.
He began to doubt. Maybe he wasn’t meant to be an astronaut. Maybe it was time to move on.
The Coaching Moment That Changed Everything
As José wrestled with the idea of giving up, he turned to his wife, Adela, for support. She didn’t console him. She coached him—with a single, transformative question:
“What do they have that you don’t?”
That one question stopped him in his tracks.
It wasn’t meant to shame—it was meant to ignite.
And it did.
A Turning Point
José didn’t just hope anymore. He transformed.
He asked himself what was missing—and took action:
He learned to fly airplanes.
He became SCUBA certified.
He improved his physical conditioning.
He strengthened his technical knowledge.
He modeled the habits, mindset, and excellence of the very astronauts he admired.
He stopped trying to be “good enough,” and started becoming unquestionably ready.
The Launch
In 2004, after his 12th application, José Hernández was finally accepted into NASA’s astronaut program.
In 2009, he traveled to space aboard STS-128.
From the fields of California to orbiting Earth—his question had become a mission.
But the true transformation had already occurred long before takeoff—
It happened the moment he looked inward and answered the question.
Leadership Is Forged in Reflection
José’s journey is more than inspirational. It is a blueprint for leadership.
That one question forced him to stop looking outward—and start building inward.
That’s coaching. That’s accountability. That’s transformation.
Your Leadership Activation
If José did it, you can too. Here’s how:
Name your vision.
Say it. Own it. Don’t water it down.
Ask the question:
“What do they have that you don’t?”
Ask it honestly. Let it reveal what you need to grow.
Build your readiness.
Study. Train. Improve. Adapt. Become.
Surround yourself with truth-tellers.
Someone, somewhere, is holding the mirror you need—just like Adela did.
Final Reflection
One question can change your life—and humanity itself.
It changed José’s. It launched him into space.
But even more, it opened doors for an entire generation to believe:
If it happened to him… it can happen to all of us.
He opened possibilities for humanity.
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