Sputnik Moment
In his State of the Union address, President Obama laid out a strategy to rebuild America calling on the people to out-innovate, out-educate and out-build the rest of the world. In addressing his people mired in the country's economic problems he tried to provide positive encouragement with words of wisdom and inspiration by spelling out what America has to do and he cited the "Sputnik Moment". America is the nation that built the transcontinental railroad, constructed the Interstate Highway System and brought electricity to the rural communities. Probably the most quotable moment of his speech was when he mentioned "This is our generation's Sputnik Moment". What is the Sputnik Moment?
Sputnik - 1957 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbAXkWPasYw
The original Sputnik Moment was when the Soviet launched a satellite into space way back in 1957. It was the world's first Earth-orbiting satellite. It began a wake-up call to the Americans when the Soviets beat them to space. This further led to the space race that had great impact on technological and scientific advancements when NASA got started and then seeing the USA putting man on the moon. Neil Armstrong's proclamation was significant when he said when landing on the moon: "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind".
Neil Armstrong (1969) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMINSD7MmT4
This is what spur breakthroughs, discoveries, advancements, achievements - competition. In our local term, we have too many Sputnik Moments and these moments are daily, constant and incessant. What is the Sputnik moment is to us all the "kiasu moments" (where kiasu actually meant "afraid to lose out" when literally translated form dialects). That siege mentality that kept you on your toes where going for that cheapo sorry I mean cheap sales in town is also a Sputnik moment. When the American print money $$$, wouldn't it sound vulgar to say inflation-targeting or it may even sound rough and uncouth to call it printing money so why not qualify it beautifully and call it as "quantitative easing"? Or did they call it "quantitative enhancement?" Whatever it is, does it not sound so much better now? Instead of feeling like you can't afford that rough foot massage in the neighbourhood now you feel like you are in a spa haven in Bali or Phuket.
I think that quantitative easing sounds better as quantitative enhancement sounds more like those increasingly popular advertisements or spams on emails that encourage you to enhance your busts, bums or male organs. Next time you reply to them that you won't need it as your piano could never be an organ.
Sputnik Moments Versus Kiasu Moments
Contrastingly, the Sputnik moment is far greater than the daily "kiasu" moments that gives you palpitation and missing heartbeats flying around like a blue-ass fly sniffing at and grabbing things that you will find out soon enough that you do not need. You may end up thinking and doing things that takes you one step forward and two steps behind - being irrational and you could still end up with nothing. When applied constantly it will not inspire you with a Sputnik moment but instead will eventually sooner rather than later turn you into a Sputnik and you will find yourself ending your tenure on planet Earth and sent orbiting into space and around the Earth that is provided that you are on the way to heaven.
The true Sputnik moment is a situation when you have your back to the wall, where you see a cat striking back at a dog. In Discovery channel programmes or those from National Geographic you will sometimes see even warthogs attacking cheetahs. It is about what you do when cornered. Sink or swim situation. Do nothing like you are in quick-sand and await a slow and terrifying death or rise from the ashes like the proverbial Phoenix. The option is obvious. Clear the dusts from your backsides and get going.
Where Is Your Sputnik Moment?
Unless you are Double-O Seven, real life in itself can be mundane. Mundane life can lead us to over-indulgence into other things. Some may have even fallen. Others resigned themselves to hopelessness and blame it on their fate then doing nothing about it. Once a Japanese soldier during the war slapped a young man whose name is Lee Kuan Yew, he asked himself why a foreign invader could come here and do this to him or something to that effect. The rest is history. Some of us got slapped we not only do not know why, we don't question ourselves, we even got into a fight and got hurt or killed. Some just hurl expletives. Others would just say :"Why me, why me?"
Sputnik Moment is about competition. It is about inspiration, discoveries, advancements, achievements and breakthroughs. A particular moment in time in your lives or in the history of nations and mankind that spur you to greater heights and to overcome all odds. In the actual events of the Sputnik Moment, the USA woke up to a real threat of losing out. NASA went all out and full steam. The space race was on. They then put man on the moon and as a result of these space programmes, we have benefitted in many ways due to technological advancements made. A giant leap for mankind indeed. Thanks to the Soviets in some way.
The only thing I could launch into orbit is the golf ball and it is great fun! In moments of despair, it can be turned around and great things can happen! These are the ups and downs of life which are inevitable. Allow me to quote you John Bunyan: "He that is down needs fear no fall" plus his other quotes - "In prayer it is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart." "The more he cast away the more he had" (on generosity). "There was a castle called Doubting Castle and the owner was Giant Despair." "He who bestows his goods upon the poor shall have as much again and ten times more."
Life is a marathon not a century sprint. It is not how we have fallen that counts but how we pick ourselves up after a fall. Sometimes, we can be in the doldrums. That is where we need to find that Sputnik Moment. Where is your Sputnik Moment? Find it! That small step for man and giant leap for mankind. Thanks to the Sputnik. Thanks to the Soviet.
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