North Star To Success (Obama Part 5)

Hope is the belief that destiny will not be written for us, but by us - Barack Obama

I finished reading chapter 5 of Barack Obamas “A Promise Land” book, and at least for the end of the chapter, it really focused on 2 main things, confidence and momentum. This specific part of the chapter/book was about the end of his running for nomination as president. Competing against large names such as Hillary and John Edwards, who both had substantial resources and experience in comparison to Obama. On many occasions at the beginning of Obama's campaign, you could tell the difference in experience as Obama would make errors in debates, speeches, and the choices he made. Despite these setbacks towards the end of his campaign he really started to iron out the small details and stopped getting tripped up by small things. He began to really improve because he noticed that at the beginning, he was trying to fit in with the Joneses and veer away from his true values, but he realized this wasn't helping his confidence, as this really wasn't who he was, so he stopped trying to cookie-cut everything and let his values lead him. You could later tell how this carried to true and stronger connections with his supporters and those who didn't initially want to vote for him, creating this inevitable momentum for himself.  

(Read here) 

Right now, I am in the midst of my Boys & Girls State application. I actually have my interview this coming Tuesday, and it's a really big deal that could be very fruitful for my college applications, but more importantly, for my personal growth. Why does this matter or connect to Obama tho? So for this program, I am competing for a spot against some pretty amazing people, which has me worried about my chances. The last step for this is my interview, where I am basically trying to pitch myself, and I think since it's a government program and I'm competing against some big contenders, I've been trying to mold myself into someone I am not. After reading this chapter tho and having some conversations with some people, I think im going to be honest with who I am and stick to my real values. I think if it doesn't work out and I don't get chosen its not because I am not good enough, but rather because it wasn't something that was meant for me, and I think this mindset has sorta given me a sense of momentum similar to Obama. I'm unsure if this will help anyone but sticking to your values in tough, scary, and serious situations is key. While success might not be instant or what you expected, I can say that it's much better than that! (wish me luck)