5 things I learned from president-elected Barack Obama’s “Yes We Can” speech
I’m going to deviate a bit from the normal beauty, skincare, nutrition and wellness post to focus on a few things that are very important in helping us age well: hope and goals.
A few days ago, I wrote a very short post after president-elected Barack Obama had won the 44th presidency because there were so many things happening that it was still hard for me to make sense of everything.
Like pretty much everyone, I’ve read pages upon pages of content on the Internet and I’ve watched more hours of CNN than permitted to catch up on all the highlights.
History has been made and it’s safe to say that the world has erupted in joy at the victory of Barack Obama and the final chapter of George W. Bush’s extended (and highly destructive) presidency.
I didn’t follow each speech, each slander, each Hollywood celebrity who was supporting Obama, each foreign president who wanted to see Obama in power or each allegation that he is associated with terrorism or Satan. These elections belong to Americans, but as a black person it was almost impossible not to sit in front of my telly filled with emotion in amazement at what I was witnessing. The entire campaign I thought this would never happen … I kept thinking the odds where too great … America was not ready … but I was obviously wrong.
Larry King has asked each of his guests: “Did you ever think you’d see this in your lifetime?”. Of course the answer was “NO”, but for me I didn’t even know this was a possibility.
For me, the beauty of Obama’s win is not so much linked to the social aspect of his victory, or the economical and political angle (I have many different views on that from the 52 percent of Americans who voted for Obama), or the fact that he is the first African-American elected in office (he is really a first generation American on his father side … which is mind boggling). It’s not the fact that Michelle Obama is the first African-American First Lady and it’s not the fact that rural America has set aside race to allow this man to raise to the highest position in America politics.
The beauty of Obama’s win for me is about setting your mind on one goal and ignoring all obstacles around you to reach that goal. His rise from seemingly nothing IS what has inspired so many people because when Obama speaks you can see how focused, certain and determined he really is AND that moves mountains.
The New York Times summed up Obama’s odds quite nicely:
“An American with the name Barack Hussein Obama, the son of a white woman and a black man he barely knew, raised by his grandparents far outside the stream of American power and wealth, has been elected the 44th president of the United States.”
Obama’s speech was incredible because his speech was not about him, but about (once again) instilling hope and confidence in the people who elected him and reassured the people who had voted against him. His speech had so many important elements that I decided to look at some that jumped at me and that can help inspire us all in our everyday lives.
>>>> Here are the 5 things I learned from president-elected Barack Obama’s “Yes We Can” speech:
1) There are no dreams that are too big to attain: For me the most moving thing about this election is the fact that so many ordinary people from America and around the world see Obama as a person who has dared to dream big and was reward for his gusto. He even opened his speech with this very fact:
“If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.”
My message to my readers is: “Dare to dream BIGGER”!
2) Even at 106 years of age … great things can still happen in your life: As you know this site is all about aging well and the journey that is involved. Age is nothing but a number and it should never hold us back from setting new goals and reaching new frontiers. The worst thing we can say to ourselves is “I’m too old for this” or “it’s too late now”. If two women who are over 105 years of age (Ann Nixon Cooper) one being were able to make it to the voting booth and cast their votes to elect their president of choice, there are no goals “too small” for you to achieve.
3) A man (or woman) with a plan is a person who CAN: Every political reporter and Queen Oprah have said that the Obama’s campaign was the best run campaign they’ve ever seen in recent memory. It’s now reported that he had planned for this soon-to-come transition way back in May 2008. It’s clear that a well laid plan can only intensify your vision and help you achieve your life goals.
4) Humility and gratitude are so important: Obama’s speech was not about himself … it was about those who elected him in power, those who believed in him, those who “dug into what little savings they had to give $5 and $10 and $20 to the cause”, those who worked tirelessly to get him to where he is now. He took a lot of time to thank people who had given of themselves for his dream. I believe that when we say “thank you” to people who help us it opens our heart and we are able to receive greater and better things in life. Saying “thank you” is such a small thing that has such huge repercussions.
5) Change is scary, but it’s the only way to move forward: It’s obvious that America voted for massive change in these past election. In our everyday lives, change can be scary and discomforting, but change IS the only way to move forward. You know the old saying: “When life gives you lemons you make lemonade” (I prefer my own version: When life gives you lemons you make French lemon tart) … it means that when you are faced with the unexpected, it’s important to see how this can help turn your life around. How many times you hear people who get a health scare that is so monumental that it forces them to make drastic changes to their lifestyle and find themselves healthier after the health scare than they had been their entire lives. Change can be scary because we fear the unknown … the uncertain. Jack Canfield (author of “Chicken Soup for the Soul”) has said: “Feel the fear, but do it any ways”. When I find myself faced with changes that are unexpected that scare me … I’m always brought back to Jack Canfield’s words.
So why do I think that hope and goals help you age well?
Without hope there is no reason to live because losing hope is like closing a book (THE END). I’m a firm believer in goals because they help us transcend our “fake” limitations. We set limitations on what we can do based on past experiences, but with set goals we are more daring, stronger and more courageous in going after what we want in life (and reaching it).
As we age, we need to keep our goals alive and set new goals to search in our 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and beyond. It’s clear from the two voters who were over 105 years old, and who were born one generation past slavery and who had lived on this planet for over a whole century, that they can still accomplish things they never thought possible. It’s still possible to have goals at any age (no matter how big or small) … for those two women it was to cast their vote and make their voice heard!
Online Archive of Barack Obama’s post-victory coverage that I’ve been reading:
1) Transcript of Obama’s Victory Speech
3) New York Times – The Next President (opinion page): This is an interesting view of Obama’s odds of winning this election
4) Heilemann: The Glow of Obama’s Mandate Is Good Enough for Now
5) CNN’s view
6) Ann Nixon Cooper reacts (106 years old) AND 107 year old voter for Obama
7) Speeches from Obama and McCain:
#8) If you read French, this will be an interesting segment of Le Figaro‘s Web site. They’ve been analyzing this campaign in a way that only the French can do: Elections Americaines 2008
9) How the British view Obama’s win
10) Daily Mail’s coverage of Obama-mania
11) Canadian coverage (National Post): The Chosen One
12) Canadian coverage (Globe and Mail): Barack Obama wins historic U.S. election
13) The Root: In Our Lifetime
Tags: Krizia's Banter
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