TheLeaderInside.com

“If I believe I cannot do something, it makes me incapable of doing it. But when I believe I can, then I acquire the ability to do it, even if I did not have the ability in the beginning.”

~~~ Mahatma Ghandi

Barack Obama always believed he could. The motto that the throngs of people at his rallies would chant was, “Yes! We Can!” There’s no question that back on the day he decided to take a run at this election campaign, he may not have had all the abilities he needed to succeed. But as Ghandi said in the quote above, “But when I believe I can, then I acquire the ability to do it, even if I did not have the ability in the beginning.” President-Elect Obama has acquired all the ability he needed.

Last night we saw the possibility of a future built on the belief that we could. We knew there would be obstacles along the way — and we knew there would be even greater obstacles for the days ahead. Most importantly, we also saw the truth for the first time in many years.

Last night we saw the multitudes cheering around the world. We saw the faces of people wet with the tears of joy and hope. This morning I looked at photos from around the world of cheering people and shots of newspaper headlines from country after country expressing their faith in the hope of our country. We’re seeing the same sort of connectedness between countries we saw right after 9/11.

Last night we saw the end of an era of bitterness, deception, hatred, and greed. As we looked at this ending, we also the beginning of a new era.

As I watched President-Elect Barack Obama give his acceptance speech I saw a crowd of over 250,000 people rapt with attention to his every word. I saw people who knew we had won this long fight for the Presidency, but I also saw people who seemed to understand there was work to be done by every one of us to make our hopes and dreams a reality.

Here’s a link to the speech in case you didn’t get a chance to see it. I like this version because it covers all the participation of the two families — the Obama’s and the Biden’s. (It’s about a half-hour, so be prepared!)

Obama’s Acceptance Speech

The other thing I noticed last night, and this morning, is the lack of any feeling of gloat by our President-Elect. Yes, there was obvious joy, but there was also a seriousness about him. I felt he knew how great a burden he was facing. Another aspect of this great man was also evident. After facing almost two years of sometimes brutal attacks on his character, his race, and his family, there was evidence of the soul of the man and how he believes. It showed in his placidity and humility at this moment of great triumph.

Throughout his campaign, Barack Obama gave us an unfiltered look at his intelligence and his grace. These aspects of who he is were seen as elitist by some and arrogant by others. My hope is that those who saw him in this way will come to learn in the coming years about his dreams of hope and freedom for us all and be willing to help him make these dreams a reality.

Now is the time for all of us to understand how we are all connected. In many of the past articles in this blog I’ve talked about the fact of how our hopes and dreams are not so different from those of our neighbors. We’ve been in an environment based on fear and greed for these past eight years which has led us to yearn for new, truthful leadership. This election proves my point. While there are still some who favor the old regime, by far, the greater majority of the people in the United States, and in the world, are not buying it any longer.

We saw the excellence and professionalism of the way Barack Obama and his team managed this campaign. Can there be any doubt as to how he will govern? He led us all to this victory — we have all won. We won our country back from the brink of disaster. Now it’s up to us help our new leader preserve our earth and our nation. It’s up to us to help President Obama bring the United States back into the fold of world leadership.

Can we return to the days when we were respected by the world? Can we become the nation working for peace and hope for all beings? Can we do the work necessary to help our new President turn our way of thinking away from being fearful into focusing on hope and peace?

Yes we can!
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I would like to thank all the people who worked so hard on this campaign. Everyone single person who donated dollars, made phone calls, knocked on doors, held house parties, did data entry work, put out lawn signs, wore badges, sent out emails, wrote letters and all the other Get Out The Vote projects deserves our heartiest, sincere, thanks. Your work is appreciated. This could not have happened without you.
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Always remember this wonderful quote from Buddha ….

“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”

~~~ Buddha

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“Those who really seek the path to Enlightenment dictate terms to their mind. Then they proceed with strong determination.”

~~~ Buddha

Namaste!

I share these words for you in closing — .

“Be happy now, my dear friends. Today is all we have. Be good to one another. Take comfort in whatever spirituality you are so inclined (or not), and learn to be happy despite your circumstances. Follow your path; pursue your dreams. Work hard, love your family, be generous and forgiving. Do it today, while you still have the flicker of life, for one day your own candle will dim.”

You are special — and you are loved. You are the greatest gift you can be.

Shanti … (A sanscrit word meaning, “Let there be Peace. Peace, beautiful Peace. Peace within, Peace without. Peace in this world. Peace for all beings.”)

“Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.”

~~~ Buddha

~~~ Ron
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