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What did you think of our attempt to land on the moon? Disappointed or did you feel we are not big enough to attempt something so huge?

I’m going to quote from my own book DARE, which is to be launched in a month. The chapter I’m quoting from is ‘Dare to Make an Ass of Yourself!’

In making an ass of yourself, you’re like an actor who’s decided to get on stage the first time, not sure whether the audience is going to boo you offstage or applaud you for your performance, you’re shaking in your shoes, though all the people see is a confident smile. But you still go on stage!

That’s daring to make an ass of yourself!  

It was a friend of my wife, a good speaker who told me about her first experience in public speaking, “Bob,” she said, “I went up on stage, after having memorized my speech, started off with a lot of confidence, and somewhere midway, saw the eyes of everyone looking up at me, and went into a shellshock. My tongue froze, my mind went blank, and I stood, the next two minutes like a zombie, as my classmates giggled and then I stepped off the stage in shame, vowing never to face an audience again!”

She did, and later taught others how to speak English and speak in front of a crowd.

This is what India dared to do. In a world where giants like the USA, and Russia dominate all space programs, India decided to enter, dared to stand up on stage against jeers and laughter, and dared to make an ass of herself.

What we must remember is not whether Vikram landed on its feet or nose, but that it dared. This is the lesson all of us need to be proud about.

Billionaire Bill Gates, once decided to deliver software to a customer which he hadn’t developed yet, and for a computer he had never seen! Because he dared, he did.

For thousands of years it was felt no human could run a mile within four minutes; it was physically impossible. Yet Roger Bannister announced that he would, decided to make an ass of himself, and shattered this belief when he ran a mile in 3.59 minutes.

We as a nation decided to go for it, knowing the world might laugh at us if we failed. Likewise, go for it, if there’s something you are afraid to do and dare to make an ass of yourself!

Only the one who dares to do so, wins in the end..! 

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