As the phone calls and text messages came pouring in shouting in victory of what is truly an amazing night in history. I feel myself impacted in a way that is somewhat hard to explain. I'm sure just like you, there is a feeling coming over you right now. I feeling of hope, a feeling of what will be able to be accomplished and seen in our lifetimes.
Think about it, we were all alive before the Internet, text messages, cell phones, facebook, and many of the things that have become part of our daily activities that are now common place to so many.
Now we are all around to experience the first president of color take the most coveted position in America.
I have one important message to leave you with as you high-five your neighbors and do the running man cabbage patch victory dance (don't act like you didn't do a jig).
The worst thing about success is a little bit. My biggest fear is that too many people will feel like, yes we made it, we have succeeded and then think the real work is done. What is the worse thing for us to do right now as a people is to feel like "We made it". The truth is, now is the most important time for us to look deep within ourselves and start taking the action that we know we should be taking to better our lives and our country.
What do I mean the worst thing about success is a little bit? What I mean is that so many times when the first sign of success hits, we want to bask in all of its glory. We want to kick back and marvel at what has happened. Yes this has its time and place but when you rest too much, and get too lazy that is when you lose your edge and begin to live in a habit of failure. It's easy to fall back into old habits and it's hard to stay consistent with positive change when the old habits seem so appealing and "easy". It may be easy, but trust me it is not fulfilling.
One thing I bet, is that you won't see Obama letting up, he will move forward and keep his presence and his message strong. I ask that you do the same. If you are reading this right now, I believe it is for a reason, I believe that there is something great inside of you that you feel swelling up. Don't rest, don't ignore it, don't sit back too much and watch. Stand up, make this upcoming year, this upcoming month, this upcoming day the most important of your life so far. Live every day knowing that you have the power of unlimited potential in you.
So...how will you be remembered?
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4 comments:
I couldn't agree with you more. And listening to President-elect Obama (doesn't that sound great?) give his acceptance speech, as well as Senator McCain give his concession speech, it is clear they are both on the same page.
No matter what your politics are, how can you ignore that by working together, we will all be better off?
There's a lot of politicking and attacking in the campaign for public office. Now is the time to stop all of that and work together to solve our problems, because we're certainly not going to fix them by dragging each other through the mud. Disagreement can be productive; enbending ideology cannot.
I think of success as a duck in a pond (very confucious, but bear with me)
The duck looks so serene sitting atop the smooth water. But when you glance below the surface, you'll see his little webbed feet paddling like crazy.
Thats because the real "leg" work always happens below the surface. I agree with you, to be successful you need to be in the right mindset to work your butt off and give your everything. Even though it may seem like there was much accomplished, we still have a long fight ahead of us to turn around this coutry AND this world.
I'm excited and thrilled to see what Obama will accomplish in the coming years!
Great post as usual!
I totally agree when you say:
What is the worse thing for us to do right now as a people is to feel like "We made it".
I think that this is a common pitfall for some, which can also be applied to other things such as college in that now that you made it to college, now is the time to accomplish your real goals. For our nation, it should be to make our country as best as can be.
Hopefully we can bring the "united" part in the United States out and work together to do great things.
Joseph
Great insight Justin, Rebs and Joseph, thanks for your insight!
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