I experienced as much relief as exhilaration at the election of Barack Obama 11 weeks ago. Listening to his victory speech on election night felt to me like coming home after being away in a foreign land. I understood the language. I felt a sense of cultural inclusion and shared values that I have ached for. It felt nourishing, like familiar food. And I don't think I had even realized how hungry I was.
I think it was the first time in eight years that I didn't cringe with disgust and alienation at hearing our leader speak.
Obama's speech this morning was a stirring call to action. It was grave, and yet uplifting. One piece that particularly resonated with me was the promise of a re-conception of what government is and does. In yoga, we strive to constantly let go of that which no longer serves us, to release what we no longer need. Obama is not talking about winning the battles that have been waged for years, but rather choosing to focus on what really matters right now, making those old entrenched fights irrelevant. This is reframing at its best, and coupled with the impressive coordination, discipline and persistence characteristic of Obama's management style so far, it may actually allow us to transcend our way into a truly new era of American leadership.
I feel hopeful and excited about the future. There is no doubt that it will be difficult but it may be the very pain of the current crisis which catalyzes the creativity and the emotional stamina we need to redefine our future.
The work we are beginning now, tackling enormous challenges in the US and around the world (and universe...??), is the work of my generation. This is our work. My work. I think Obama said it perfectly this morning when he asserted that "there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task."
And I say - yes we can.
*I'd like to get credit for not saying "game changer" or "paradigm shift" or even thinking seriously about saying it.
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