“You face the biggest challenge of all: to have the courage to seek your big dream regardless of what anyone says”
– Oprah Winfrey

You cannot stroll to your goal. And heck no, your record does not speak for itself. There is no better illustration of this that this past presidential race. When we look at President Obama’s record, we could argue that he has accomplished more than many presidents did in their first term in office. He got Bin Laden, wound down two wars and won two more without committing many troops into combat, yet he had to fight to retain his seat as president.

In the 2004 race, we recorded that then Senator Obama faced many obstacles to his candidacy including being a black male with Islamic sounding names in a post-9/11 America. He was relatively unknown, lacked major funding, and of questionable nationality. Yet, he showed up. In this past campaign, we saw him campaigning vigorously particularly in key states reassuring his base while striving to garner support from outsiders. He worked the campaign trail tirelessly. He showed out!

So many people these days simply want to ‘stroll to their goal’ thinking life owes them a living. I hope you are not one of these people. Life owes no one a living; you must roll up your sleeves and do what you need to do to bring your dreams into reality. So take an inventory, what would it take to achieve your dreams and goals? How smart and hard do you need to work? When and where do you need to work? Then hit the ground running.

[adapted from Wanna B Prez? 10 Life Strategies from President Barack Obama’s Journey to the White House].