Barack Obama Brings Transformation

I posted this as an answer to a question on LinkedIn "How were Barack Obama's words received in your country?"

My personal reaction was one of joy, gratitude and hope.

Obama is careful to note that most of the work will be coming from the people - with support from the government.

He is the kind of person who can inspire many people to action very quickly. He has an authenticity about him that is rare in politics and that along with his charisma and lived experience with diversity are key to this being a turning point.

Globally, Obama has added fire to an already lit candle of hope and he has come at a time when there is a tremendous shift happening globally. As I am an indigenous healer, the energy I felt during both his inauguration and his election has been unbelievably joyous - although I can also sense the other side of it, the many who are not feeling ready for such intense change. But he is not the one responsible for the intense change - we all are.

There is no question this is a turning point - it already was a turning point globally even without his election. It's not just the economy that is crashing; the way of living that has favored a small number of people and left the rest behind is also crashing.

Obama's election has served to amplify the positive energy in enough people that global transformation toward a more peaceful and positive way of being just gained huge momentum.

One person can make a difference. Certainly one person can't undo all the negativity and history before him in one fell swoop, but one person can make a difference.

And that one person is you. And me. And yes, Obama. And anyone else who is open to working toward something better.

Change isn't coming - it's already here and Obama's election is just part of the larger picture. Some will love him and some will hate him and some will sit and watch him, waiting for him to make mistakes.

On a personal level, as a Native Canadian mother with mixed race children, I am thrilled that my 11yo daughter is taking an interest in learning about politics and feeling inspired as a result of these events, and that my black-Indian Jamaican/Ojibwe/Odawa/Irish/Scottish 22yo son can now look at possibility in a whole new light.

Miigwech, Thank You for raising this topic.

Brenda, Medicine Song Woman