Former astronaut and Sarnia native Chris Hadfield is encouraging local students to dream the impossible and set goals every day to improve their skillsets.
The Colonel addressed Grade 11 and 12 students with the Lambton Kent District School Board during a keynote address at the SSEC Wednesday.
Hadfield challenged students to consider what they would like to change in the world, rather than tackle the overwhelming question of what they would like to be when they grow up.
He encourages students to find their passion and set small goals to get there.
"It doesn't necessarily have to be practical, but something that in your heart-of-hearts you really dream about maybe happening in your life. It helps give you a stepping stone path of what to choose to do next in your life," says Hadfield.
He told students failure is a necessary part of the process.
"All the great inventors, they failed way more than they succeeded. It's through the iterate of making mistakes that something gets better and better," he says. "Your life is just one of those experiments, really."
During his keynote address, Hadfield shared his 35-year career experience with three space missions.
He says he had the impossible dream of becoming an astronaut when he was 9-years-old and took steps every day to improve his skillset in order to get there.
"If you keep making small decisions that drag you towards those goals, you're inevitably going to move your life towards something that you prefer," he says. "That process is life."
Crowd for Chris Hadfield keynote address in Sarnia. May 25, 2016 (BlackburnNews.com Photo by Briana Carnegie)
Chris Hadfield shares photo of when he was young, dreaming of becoming an astronaut, during a keynote address in Sarnia. May 25, 2016 (BlackburnNews.com Photo by Briana Carnegie)
Chris Hadfield shares experience handling water without gravity in space, while addressing students in Sarnia. May 25, 2016 (BlackburnNews.com Photo by Briana Carnegie)
Chris Hadfield shares experience handling water without gravity in space, while addressing students in Sarnia. May 25, 2016 (BlackburnNews.com Photo by Briana Carnegie)
Chris Hadfield shares photos of 35-year career experience exploring space during a keynote address in Sarnia. May 25, 2016 (BlackburnNews.com Photo by Briana Carnegie)
Chris Hadfield shares photos of 35-year career experience exploring space during a keynote address in Sarnia. May 25, 2016 (BlackburnNews.com Photo by Briana Carnegie)
Chris Hadfield shares photos of 35-year career experience exploring space during a keynote address in Sarnia. May 25, 2016 (BlackburnNews.com Photo by Briana Carnegie)
Chris Hadfield shows photo from space of Sarnia-Lambton during keynote address in Sarnia. May 25, 2016 (BlackburnNews.com Photo by Briana Carnegie)
Photo of Great Lakes as seen from space. Photo shared during Chris Hadfield's keynote address in Sarnia. May 25, 2016 (BlackburnNews.com Photo by Briana Carnegie)
Chris Hadfield shares photos of 35-year career experience exploring space during a keynote address in Sarnia. May 25, 2016 (BlackburnNews.com Photo by Briana Carnegie)
Chris Hadfield shares photos of 35-year career experience exploring space during a keynote address in Sarnia. May 25, 2016 (BlackburnNews.com Photo by Briana Carnegie)
Chris Hadfield shares photos of 35-year career experience exploring space during a keynote address in Sarnia. May 25, 2016 (BlackburnNews.com Photo by Briana Carnegie)
Chris Hadfield shares photos of 35-year career experience exploring space during a keynote address in Sarnia. May 25, 2016 (BlackburnNews.com Photo by Briana Carnegie)
Chris Hadfield performs for local high school students during a keynote address in Sarnia. May 25, 2016 (BlackburnNews.com Photo by Briana Carnegie)
Chris Hadfield performs for local high school students during a keynote address in Sarnia. May 25, 2016 (BlackburnNews.com Photo by Briana Carnegie)
