Post Inaugural Accountability

Someone once said, “First you believe, and then you see the results of what you believe.”

The people of America voted for Barack Obama because they wanted to believe in a change that was believable. Two months ago belief cast its vote and elected the first black president to office.Today that belief was affirmed as the 44th president took office. But will belief be strong enough to carry a nation through these next four years? 

A pledge is a solemn promise of accountability. It usually implies a follow through with action on words previously spoken and takes into account any and all difficulties that might arise. A nation’s ability to change lies not in the solemn promise and responsibility of one man but in the solemn promise and accountability of all men. Change requires responsible authority which begins with tolerance; our ability to accept or endure with forbearance the many difficult rites of passage. Many people believe they are tolerant towards others. But tolerance is not something we extend to others, it is something we extend to ourselves. Tolerance is an inner struggle with self against self. One must be responsible to oneself before one can be responsible to or for others. Yet responsibility is in short demand. Thus we pledge allegiance to our country and vow to love and honor one another in sickness and in health. And in the beginning everything is rosy and feels great. Yet the moment we hit that first hiccup and fear sets in good intention gets tossed like a baby with the bath water. We then resort to violence and divorce from those things and people we once claimed to love. 

Okay. So promises are broken. Sometimes people speak prematurely, usually in haste and with great enthusiasm. And because of our individual agendas, hopes and dreams, we allow ourselves to get caught up in the swell of the promise and equally promise in return to the promiser.  We see this all the time in the world of politics. Politicians make promises for the sake of electoral votes and renege the moment they step into office. We hate it, but we accept it. In a final stance of defiance we do the one thing we believe we still have the power to do. We gripe and give up. Giving up is the primary reason why most people stop voting.

Kennedy articulated his profound understanding of the symbiosis between self empowerment and accountability when he said, “Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country.”  

This in mind, imagine for a moment that I am an American who voted for Obama. How much of Obama’s presidential responsibility belongs to him and how much belongs to me? What responsibility do I have now that Obama is president? Is my responsibility greater if I voted for Obama than if I didn’t vote at all? 

Personally I like Obama. I trust in my ability to know a decent human being when I see and hear one. Unfortunately I couldn’t vote for him because I’m not an American. Yet I believe if ever there was a light left in Judah for the tribe of Israel, it shone brightly today at the 44th presidential inauguration. So why the lump of heaviness in my heart? Why not share in the tears of joy and hopeful enthusiasm? Could it be the weight of an unspoken promise of a nation of people? Do I fear a nation will give up and file for divorce when times get tough? More importantly, how can a nation prove its accountability and best support its decision to elect Obama as president? I believe the answer is simple. Take the core value Obama offers and make it your own. Responsible leadership begins within.

As a leader in the competitive health and fitness industry, it is my responsibility not only to convince my clients that I am a better candidate but to prove myself through my actions. In my pledge to help lead my clients towards better fitness and health I design and implement fitness programs, teach safety and proper form for best results, provide nutritional stimulus, and modify when and where needed. I then set about challenges to force my clients to grow past mental and physical limitations to bring out their personal best. Because I know motivation is often fueled by inspiration I offer up words of encouragement and help my clients to find sparks of inspiration from within, inspiration that will carry them through the arduous journey of going it alone. Yet as a fitness leader I can only do so much. My ability to perform miracles is largely dependent on the willingness, dedication, and accountability of my clients. The greatest challenge my clients face is the opportunity to cheat and fall back on old habits. Cheating and falling back on old habits are the primary reasons why most people sign up to work out in a gym in January and drop out by March. It is this knowledge, the cheating and falling back on old habits, that is the lump of heaviness in my heart. 

It appears my cause for concern is a reflection of planetary proportion. In today’s general horoscope for all signs, astrologer Rick Levine writes, “Although Mercury is retrograde, which would usually turn our thinking inward, the Moon enters outgoing Sagittarius at 12:30 pm EST. Since this adventurous Moon supportively sextiles Mercury, the Sun and Jupiter, it's unlikely that we'll be able to withhold our newly found optimism.”  

Optimism is the result of inspiration. Obama inspired a nation, perhaps even a world, to believe. But is that belief sustainable? In order for belief to be sustainable it needs to resonate on a deep personal level. 

The truth about the fate and faith is this: America did not become a leading nation by chance. It became a leading nation by choice. Because the early pioneers believed in new beginnings a nation was formed. Because blacks believed in freedom slavery was abolished. And because women believed they had the right to vote gender equality was born. Yet no dream was without peril, hard work, or compromise. Because a nation of diversity sought change for the better, America has come to symbolize the manifestation of all people’s hopes and dreams. 

Today’s dream denotes change we can all believe in. Yet change takes courage. Unfortunately many people don’t know how to begin the process of change or they lack the necessary skills and resources. To help ease this burden I am providing a quick how-to guide in the hopes that all people will become accountable to their hopes and dreams.

How to Create The Change You Want in Nine Easy Steps

1) Make a list of all your beliefs. Positive and negative. 

2) For each belief, try to identify all the ways in which your belief serves or hinders you? 

3) Next determine what beliefs you want to change and list the reasons why. Are your reasons strong enough to sustain you through the most difficult times? 

4) If the change you seek seems insurmountable, break it down into increments? 

5) Create or enlist an external support system to help you transition through the change? 

6) Look to past examples of change and identify and list all inner resources of tenacity and endurance. 

Keep the list somewhere accessible for those times when you doubt yourself and your abilities.

7) Sometimes we often desire change but because it takes so long to achieve it we often have a change of heart. Just remember, nothing is carved in stone and all learning is useful. 

8) Be the change you wish to see in others.

9) Finally, take accountability for the consequences of all change you create.