Now Is The Time

“The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America -- I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you -- we as a people will get there.

There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as president. And we know the government can't solve every problem.

But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And, above all, I will ask you to join in the work of remaking this nation, the only way it's been done in America for 221 years -- block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.”

The essence of how Obama will govern is expressed in these words from his victory speech. He is not promising us an easy or immediate fix . He is not claiming to have all the answers or a magic wand to wave over our troubled country. His use of “we,” “our,” and “as a people” make it clear that just as we worked together to get him elected, we must continue to work together to rebuild what has been broken.

Michelle Obama, who probably knows Barack better than anyone, gave us a heads-up about what an Obama presidency would be like, when she said, on the eve of Super Tuesday;

"Barack Obama will require that you work. He is going to demand that you shed your cynicism; that you put down your divisions; that you come out of your isolation; that you move out of your comfort zones; that you push yourself to be better; and that you engage."

If an Obama administration is to succeed, it will require a willingness to sacrifice and to put country first from each of us. Now is a time that calls each of us to self-examination - of our motives, our predjudices, our anger, and our actions. If we are to make and keep such a commitment, it is imperative that we are honest with ourselves even if we are not able to be honest with anyone else.

My personal method for this not-as-easy-as-it-sounds task is to stand in front of a mirror, look myself in the eye and state my motive for doing something. I have found it surprisingly difficult to lie to myself while looking myself in the eye. Rationalizations and self-delusions seem to be revealed for what they are in this process. Even if I choose to continue doing what I have been doing, this forces it to be a conscious decision. And, this self honesty does away with my ability to ascribe noble motives to not so noble actions which leads at some point to a different choice.

Different methods may work for different people. The important thing is that we each seek this honesty in ourselves. It is a first and immediate step to the change we want, the change we voted for when we elected Barack Obama to lead us. And he made it clear that he can only lead us, he cannot do it for us when he said,

It can't happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice.

So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other.

We need much from Barack Obama. This is what he needs from us us.