Wednesday, November 5, 2008

A Great Day for the USA, Except...

I could try to connect this post to sports by noting that Barack Obama played basketball yesterday as voters were going to the polls in unprecedented numbers to elect him the 44th President of the United States. But I won't even try. I just want say how proud I am to be an American today. I am so moved by the election of our first African-American president. I can only imagine what this is like for my African-American friends and colleagues to see something they never expected to see in their lifetime.

My feelings of excitement and joy, however, are tempered with great sadness that Proposition 8, the California initiative to ban same-sex marriage by amending the state constitution for the first time for the purpose of taking rights away from people, appears to be on its way to passage. As I write, the initiative is undecided, but 52% of the voters in California have cast their ballots for discrimination. Not a good sign. Similar initiatives passed in Arizona and Florida. So, it is a bittersweet victory today. One huge step forward. One disappointing step back.

2 comments:

TheLaw26 said...

What an amazing day in American history. I personally didn’t vote for Obama but am truly inspired by the positivity and global reaction resulting from his election. His energy is addicting and his demeanor inspiring.

His story is truly American. I’d love to dive into Obama’s mind and discover his motives and internal dialog. To go through a year of campaigning is very difficult, but to go through a year of campaigning and deliver a speech like that is truly inspirational.

What’s also fascinating is looking at the dynamic of who voted, how they voted, and what drove them to vote. Obama’s campaign created a wave of energy that grew bigger and bigger as his campaign moved forward, engulfing (in a good way) each supporter and supercharging them. How did they do this? It all started with a vision. Obama’s vision, planted deep within his mind, began to take root almost 2 years ago today. The power of his vision can teach every American citizen about how to accomplish goals using the powers of visualization and intention.

I looked into this vision questing further and found that many super-successful people have been using vision boards to help focus their mind and accomplish their dreams. A vision board is a collage of images pasted on a board that represent your desired outcomes, your goals, and dreams. By studying your vision board, your brain gains clarity on what is important to your success, the things you MUST accomplish. I found a site www.TheVisionBoardKit.com that allows you to download a free 8-step power plan to creating vision boards. I’d highlight recommend downloading it.

Anonymous said...

Arkansas is also on the list of anti-gay initiatives passed by voters this year. The new law there prohibits gay folks from adopting, hurting not only the gay folks but denies many protections to their children. Since a similar ban passed in Utah in 2000, too many children have been legally ripped away from one of their parents when their parents separated. You're right. Its a mixed bag -Step Forward. Step Back.