A voice came across as a thin, tinny voice into the Apollo 13 Mission Control Center located in Houston, Texas in the '60's after a fire broke out in the small capsule.
"Houston, we may have a problem."
The fire was quickly contained in the cramped compartment but did devastating damage to many of the systems necessary to control, navigation and life support.
However, the story has a happy ending. With a clear realization of the reality they were operating in, the astronauts and the ground crew with Intention, Grit and Awareness applied creative solutions to what might have seemed an impossible problem, dooming the crew to an inevitable fate.
They had a problem but they did not operate in a world of certainty. They had choices. It was hard, it was scary and it had a large amount of uncertainty but they did not give up.
The astronauts survived and because of the team's actions, the Apollo program continued and marched forward over programs and generations to a place where we are today. All because of a series of decisions.
Our society's check engine light is on. It's a warning and a diagnostic notification. The engine hasn't frozen or thrown a rod. Nor has it yet lost it's power. Sure, it is running rough but it can be repaired.
And that just begins by paying attention to what each of us, as individuals can do.
“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.”
― Leo Tolstoy
Houston, we may have a problem