Nov 20, 2008
It’s hard to guess if the new President-Elect will be as great as many people believe that he will be. It’s hard to predict if he can or will bring great change to the United States and the world. There is no way to say if he will be “successful”.
There is one thing that we can say for sure. The fact that he was elected is one of the most significant political/democratic changes that has happened in the last 100 years. It’s perhaps bigger for me and my generation because we weren’t there during MLK, no really able to understand the importance of Mandela or Ghandi. We had seen great leaders like Terry Fox and Bono (I know he’s up for debate with some). Though to watch a man rise from obscurity to the highest office in the US and one of the most powerful positions in the world is truly an inspiration. To see the celebrations that took place on the streets of not only America but around the planet made me weep.
I believe the world is tired of war, greed, hunger and sadness. The idea of one man being able to change the planet is daunting but still exciting. Nothing is impossible. If you would have turned to Martin Luther King in the sixties and said… “In about 40 years a black man will be President.” he may have said it was possible but the vast majority would have said “Impossible!”
If there is one thing that I have learned it’s that nothing is impossible. You decide, you create your future. What do you want to do? What future do you see for yourself. American’s have a habit of saying, “Only in America!”. Although I do believe that America is a place that was founded with the ideal of possibilities, if you look around the world, in all sorts of countries, you will find incredible stories of people that have done the impossible. The country is irrelative, it’s the person and their will to survive, to succeed, to do more.
I believe in you! Do you believe in you? Stop saying that you can’t… I believe that you can.
One of my favourite parts of the campaign was a video/song that will.i.am created based on the “Yes we can!” speech. Below is the follow up to that song. If you can’t see it it’s on youtube
Start today, be possible, yes you can!
Posted by Stu Saunders in Leadership Learning and Growing Motivation on Nov 20, 2008 at 11:01 am | Permanent Link | Comments (3)
Comment posted on Nov 21, 2008 at 3:46 pm by kaila (YLCC Member)
Another amazing and thought-provoking blog Stu, thank you : )
Comment posted on Nov 22, 2008 at 1:43 pm by Angela (YLCC Member)
You are right
It is about what we think of ourselves
What we believe within
But it is also about what others believe we can achieve as well
Obama became President because American believed that he could make a difference
But what if they didn’t
What if there was no belief in him
Could his own belief make him President
You cannot always survive on just your own belief
You must believe and have others beleive in you as well
I believe in you others like they believe in me
Comment posted on Nov 23, 2008 at 6:21 pm by Pamlamb (YLCC Member)
I have had this discussion with so many people over the last couple of weeks and each time we come to the conclusion that this is an exciting time to be a part of history, and he may not be able to change the world, but in a way he already has. He has become President when many thought he wouldn’t, he has brought change within the United States before even being inaugaurated, and he’s given America, and the world a new sense of hope and a new sense of pride. I believe Obama will make a great President, because he has done so many great things before even taking the official title.
You have to believe that you can do it...I have to believe that I can do it, because at the end of the day I have to answer to me.
Also I saw this political cartoon that had a statute of Martin Luther King with Obama standing next to it. The statue has written on it “I have a dream” and the have is crossed out and replaced with “had”...kinda cool!
Great blog Stu!
PamLamb