Shining my light

This post is for Queen of Spain who asks us to shine our light in advance of the election.

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The front page of www.barackobama.com says "I'm asking you to believe. Not just in my ability to bring about real change in Washington…I’m asking you to believe in yours."

Punctuation aside, that is why I am supporting Barack Obama. Because he says it isn't about HIM. It is about US.

And Barack Obama has inspired me, just by asking, to get up off my butt and do something. Crazy that a politican could make me do this, but since he was brave enough to say that he believed in our power to make positive changes, I decided to take the ball and run with it in my own little way.

Here's my program: Do something to make change happen on a personal, local, national and international level.

Personally, I joined Toastmasters. I want to improve my public speaking skills so I can be a more effective communicator, no matter what else I do.

Locally, I called up the city to see how I could support a long-term public works project that is close to my heart – building a community swimming facility on my side of town. I will attend advisory meetings and volunteer to do what I can to help. This is something that may take 10 to 20 years, but I am willing to commit for the long haul.

I serve on my church board. I have talked about that here before.

I also do beach clean-up every time I go to the beach. I take a plastic shopping bag and fill it with bits of trash I find. I figure over the course of a year, I can pick up almost half a ton of trash.

On the national and international level, I have become active in Amnesty International again to support human rights in the U.S. and everywhere. And I sponsor a woman in Nigeria through Women for Women International, so that she can learn to read, gain business skills and better support her family.

That’s my plan. Here’s my challenge – if you believe in America, if you believe we all need to work to make this a better place, develop a plan of your own for yourself and your family. Something that fits your beliefs and your lifestyle. It doesn’t have to be huge, it doesn’t have to be hard, but I think we should all do something.

Quit cursing the darkness. Spread the light.

Anyone up for it?