Chris Hadfield Quotes

Spaceflight isn't just about doing experiments, it's about an extension of human culture.

Our role is to develop techniques that allow us to provide emergency life-saving procedures to injured patients in an extreme, remote environment without the presence of a physician.

Don't let life randomly kick you into the adult you don't want to become

Almost everything worthwhile carries with it some sort of risk.

Decide in your heart of hearts what really excites and challenges you, and start moving your life in that direction

Every single day you're the result of what you did on the days prior.

Focus on the journey, not on arriving at a certain destination.

Remember, nobody changes the world on their own.

The cool things about space is when you put your pants on here, you can put them on two legs at a time.

Every decision you make, from what you eat to what you do with your time tonight, turns you into who you are tomorrow and the day after that.

Anticipating problems and figuring out how to solve them is actually the opposite of worrying: it's productive.

Almost everything worthwhile carries with it some sort of risk, whether it's starting a new business, whether it's leaving home, whether it's getting married, or whether it's flying in space.

No one ever accomplished anything great sitting down.

By looking at the difference between perceived danger and actual danger, you can fundamentally change your reaction.

As I have discovered again and again, things are never as bad (or as good) as they seem at the time.

In any field, it's a plus if you view criticism as potentially helpful advice rather than as a personal attack.

From space, the Bahamas is the most beautiful place on Earth.

My favourite city is Moscow, because of its history, which I find fascinating. As I learned to speak Russian, it made it even more interesting.

Fatherhood is the unending imperfect task of turning yourself into your dad while secretly maintaining the unbridled elation of your boyhood

The Bahamas are gorgeous. The deep trench in the ocean floor called the Tongue of the Ocean, which comes between the islands, is the most beautiful deep indigo colour.

It’s not enough to shelve your own competitive streak. You have to try, consciously, to help others succeed.

Sweat the small stuff. Without letting anyone see you sweat.

Early success is a terrible teacher. You're essentially being rewarded for a lack of preparation, so when you find yourself in a situation where you must prepare, you can't do it. You don't know how.

There is no problem so bad that you cannot make it worse

If you start thinking that only your biggest and shiniest moments count, you're setting yourself up to feel like a failure most of the time.

Good leadership means leading the way, not hectoring other people to do things your way.

The emotional build-up and anticipation if you travel at Christmas can make it harder to enjoy a trip. I think sometimes it is better to travel outside of conventional holiday times for that reason.

I've had a chance to fly a lot of different airplanes, but it was nothing like the shuttle ride.

You can't change the bricks, and together, you still have to build a wall.

The Moon has given us months, tides and a destination that ever-beckons. It's time we build a rocket and go to stay.

"What's the next thing that's going to kill me?" is a mantra for pilots and astronauts.

The danger is different from the fear. ... [practice] what to do if things go wrong, as well as right.

So without that Canadian invention we were grounded. And so that was a really important and key part of the mission and Canadians should take real pride in it.

Most budget airlines anywhere in the world are going to leave you dissatisfied after using them.

My favourite city for nightlife is Toronto, as it has such a multicultural feel, with so many different restaurants and theatres.

Square astronaut, round hole. But somehow, I'd managed to push myself through it, and here was the truly amazing part: along the way, I'd become a good fit. It had only taken 21 years.

I wasn’t destined to be an astronaut. I had to turn myself into one.

To me, it's not about being anywhere, but being able to change my perceptions and experience something new.

I've been lucky enough to fly to space twice.

Do your homework in advance about the actual travel details so transportation issues do not define your holiday.

We are not machines exploring the universe, we are people.

There is a sunrise or a sunset from space every 92 minutes so there is an incredible amount of beauty to see from up there.

You should have a fear of some things. That doesn't mean it incapacitates you from your ability to figure out a way to deal with it.

I've had a chance to see something that is way outside everybody else's frame of reference and gives a perspective that is very different from everyone else's.

As an astronaut, especially during launch, half of the risk of a six-month flight is in the first nine minutes.

I've put a lot of my life into making it possible to fly in space at all.

Russians aren't perfect. Their politics are messed up, and they keep going through self-defeating economic cycles. But I have a lot of respect for Russia, and a lot of love for Russians.

Nothing boosts confidence quite like simulating a disaster, engaging with it fully, both physically and intellectually, and realising you have the ability to work the problem.

Value the wisdom of humility, as well as the sense of perspective it gives you.