Here is what I wrote a year ago:
When I talk to friends and read all the op-eds in the NYT and WSJ about the US, one could get the feeling that the US is on the decline, and its best days are behind it. I don’t think so. The US may face more challenges at this point of time than they have had in a generation. But the people there have a couple of qualities that will help them not just pull through but also create something more and better. Resilience and Reinvention.
There may be anger at government being manifested through the Tea Party. There may be disappointment at Obama. But under the hood, there are hubs that are full of life. The entrepreneurial energy in the US is still alive and kicking. That is what creates companies like Google, Apple, Cisco and Facebook. With each big success, there are dozens of companies that fail. And that is where the same resilience and reinvention kicks in. There is that inherent belief that the world needs a better mousetrap – and they are the ones to do it.
That is the type of attitude that we need to bring in our thinking in India. Put aside the fear of failure, think big, and aim to change the world. Only a few of us will succeed. But that’s a few more than what’s happening today. And those few will inspire those to come.
