Linda Sapadin
"Yes, We Can" has become more than a campaign slogan. It has become a renewed belief in the power of the people to make a difference.
Right now President-elect Obama is in the sweet spot. People are still high on celebrating, low on carping and criticizing. It's a great time to have a smile on your face, hope in your heart. Even the cynics are daring to believe.
But what will happen when the honeymoon is over - when the problems set in and the solutions are neither obvious nor easy nor unanimous?
What will happen when our liaison with Obama loses its luminescence? Will we go back to being cynical? To believing that, yup we made a terrible mistake - Obama does not have enough experience to be president? Perhaps.
But perhaps not. For odds are that Obama will be a good president, maybe even a great president. There are lots of reasons to feel that way, but today I'd like to focus on only one - a line from his acceptance speech that resonated within me.
"I will listen to you - especially when we disagree."
Wow! A president who listens to those with whom he disagrees! We haven't had that for eight long years. And look at the results! Freedom eroded, conformity applauded, defamation rewarded.
Freedom has a few basic requirements. Among them are tolerance for disagreement, the courage to entertain ideas other than your own and the self-assurance to admit that you were wrong. This applies not only to a government that has dedicated itself to be "of the people, by the people and for the people" but to individual relationships as well.
I don't think we fully understand principles that apply to the larger world until we understand how these same concepts work on a personal level. So now let's get personal. Think of someone you know who has listened and spoken respectfully to you even when disagreeing with your take on the matter. Have you then found yourself thinking, hey, this was a good conversation. I learned something. It enhanced my understanding of the situation, of another person's viewpoint.
Now think of someone you know who treated you with disdain, shouting that you're stupid, crazy, don't know what you're talking about (and worse) because he/she disagreed with what you said. What did it feel like when you and your ideas were dismissed as unfounded, untrue, useless? Did you feel you learned anything (except that you can't talk to this person about this subject)? Did you feel that your understanding of the situation had been enhanced?
Okay. Now you get it.
Back to President-elect Barack Obama. We are honeymooning with him and with our fellow Americans, gathering together in ways that are reminiscent of the post 9/11 days. We are witnessing the joy felt around the globe by those who still look to America as a beacon of hope. We have tapped into a dormant optimism, a wish to serve a cause greater than satisfying our own momentary desire to "go shopping."
Yes, there is much work to be done. But we are a resilient country. We are a hard working country. We are an imaginative country. With the guidance of our new president's leadership, we will resolve our problems, revitalize our reputation. Yes, We Can - Yes, We Will meet the challenges of the future.
Copyright 2008 Linda Sapadin, Ph.D. is a psychologist and personal coach in private practice who specializes in helping people enrich their lives, enhance their relationships and overcome self-defeating patterns of behavior. For more information about her work, contact her at lsapadin@drsapadin.com or visit her website at http:/www.psychwisdom.com/.
