What Would Obama Do???

In order to be successful, I believe you have to seek out mentors and role models. Find people that you admire and emulate their sucess. Immerse yourself in positive idealogy and notice the shifts of consciousness that begin in your life. I am proud today to watch and learn from Barack Obama. He is the pinnacle of all I can hope to achieve or instill in my children. He is a fearless leader, eloquent speaker and his example as a husband and father should make men everywhere take notes.

I was riding the plane back to Boston on Thursday and was talking to a friend on the phone regarding the election process and sharing the sentiments of my disgruntled Republican co-workers. When I hung up the phone, the gentleman beside me said "You know, I didnt mean to eavesdrop but everything you said was right." He went on to say "I have been a Southern Christian Republican all of my life. About 2 mos. before the election I decided to vote for Obama." I was amazed and probed further. "What was the deciding factor that made you change a lifelong of ideals?", I asked. He said to me with sincerity, "Well, Sarah Palin was a poor choice. She failed as an accurate representation of women and the party. I tired of the consistent Republican negative attack ads. I didnt like that they kept trying to associate Obama with terrorists. At the end of the day, once I abandoned tradition and looked at the issues, voting for Obama made sense. I agreed with his healthcare plan and his ideas for this country. I enjoy the way he delivers complex information to the masses with ease. Most of all, I admired his integrity. He handled everything with poise and grace. I too felt like it was time for change."

We can learn so much for Obama about dignity and and acting with integrity. I have compiled the following quotes that I hope inspire you as much as they have me.

A good compromise, a good piece of legislation, is like a good sentence; or a good piece of music. Everybody can recognize it. They say, 'Huh. It works. It makes sense.' Barack Obama

Americans... still believe in an America where anything's possible - they just don't think their leaders do. Barack Obama

Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek. Barack Obama

Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. Because it's only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential. Barack Obama

I don't oppose all wars. What I am opposed to is a dumb war. What I am opposed to is a rash war. Barack Obama

I don't take a dime of their [lobbyist] money, and when I am president, they won't find a job in my White House. Barack Obama

I know my country has not perfected itself. At times, we've struggled to keep the promise of liberty and equality for all of our people. We've made our share of mistakes, and there are times when our actions around the world have not lived up to our best intentions. Barack Obama

I think when you spread the wealth around it's good for everybody. Barack Obama

If the people cannot trust their government to do the job for which it exists - to protect them and to promote their common welfare - all else is lost. Barack Obama

If you're walking down the right path and you're willing to keep walking, eventually you'll make progress. Barack Obama

In the end, that's what this election is about. Do we participate in a politics of cynicism or a politics of hope? Barack Obama

Issues are never simple. One thing Im proud of is that very rarely will you hear me simplify the issues. Barack Obama

It took a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get to where we are today, but we have just begun. Today we begin in earnest the work of making sure that the world we leave our children is just a little bit better than the one we inhabit today. Barack Obama

It's not surprising, then, they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations. Barack Obama

Money is not the only answer, but it makes a difference. Barack Obama

My job is not to represent Washington to you, but to represent you to Washington. Barack Obama

My parents shared not only an improbable love, they shared an abiding faith in the possibilities of this nation. They would give me an African name, Barack, or blessed, believing that in a tolerant America your name is no barrier to success. Barack Obama

Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and the war on terrorism have reduced the pace of military transformation and have revealed our lack of preparation for defensive and stability operations. This Administration has overextended our military. Barack Obama

The thing about hip-hop today is it's smart, it's insightful. The way they can communicate a complex message in a very short space is remarkable. Barack Obama

There are patriots who opposed the war in Iraq and there are patriots who supported the war in Iraq. We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of America. Barack Obama

There is not a liberal America and a conservative America - there is the United States of America. There is not a black America and a white America and latino America and asian America - there's the United States of America. Barack Obama

This is the moment when we must build on the wealth that open markets have created, and share its benefits more equitably. Trade has been a cornerstone of our growth and global development. But we will not be able to sustain this growth if it favors the few, and not the many. Barack Obama

This is the moment when we must come together to save this planet. Let us resolve that we will not leave our children a world where the oceans rise and famine spreads and terrible storms devastate our lands. Barack Obama

Today we are engaged in a deadly global struggle for those who would intimidate, torture, and murder people for exercising the most basic freedoms. If we are to win this struggle and spread those freedoms, we must keep our own moral compass pointed in a true direction. Barack Obama

Tonight, we gather to affirm the greatness of our nation - not because of the height of our skyscrapers, or the power of our military, or the size of our economy. Our pride is based on a very simple premise, summed up in a declaration made over two hundred years ago. Barack Obama

We can't drive our SUVs and eat as much as we want and keep our homes on 72 degrees at all times... and then just expect that other countries are going to say OK. That's not leadership. That's not going to happen. Barack Obama

We have an obligation and a responsibility to be investing in our students and our schools. We must make sure that people who have the grades, the desire and the will, but not the money, can still get the best education possible. Barack Obama

We have real enemies in the world. These enemies must be found. They must be pursued and they must be defeated. Barack Obama

We need to internalize this idea of excellence. Not many folks spend a lot of time trying to be excellent. Barack Obama

We need to steer clear of this poverty of ambition, where people want to drive fancy cars and wear nice clothes and live in nice apartments but don't want to work hard to accomplish these things. Everyone should try to realize their full potential. Barack Obama

You know, my faith is one that admits some doubt. Barack Obama