Today marks a new day. The other inaugurations were like little pep rallies or watching ho hum news. Not that it wasnt important before, but I didn't have a frame of reference and/or it didn't matter much back then.

Instead, I'm in my thirties. I have a home, wife, kid, dog, and all of the grown-up things (not to mention the economic turmoil everyone's in). Now it means something... the direction of the country, and the leadership of the president. It actually means something to listen to what this guy is saying!

It's not about his triumph over racial adversity, or how everyone looks to him to fix all the troubles in America and the world. It is the fact that he understands that one big source of America's problem is that we are too cynical and no proactive enough.

Over the years, it seems that pride, convenience, and tolerance have been building up as America's classic traits. We see it in our marketing, our products, our language... Sometimes they are subtle, sometimes blatant.

While these traits on their own have there merits, they also have to be in accordance with other traits. Otherwise, these traits create illusions of a solid foundation of a contry. These traits create that cynical nature that we all know too well... the 'Chandler' syndrome if you will.

Yes, we can all be cynical at times, especially in uncertain times like now. However, if we don't get redirected to being within our principles, standards, and excellence, we end up empty or unresolved. We must constantly evaluate and re-evaluate ourselves to make sure we not only stay away from our cynical societal nature, but also to get to our prosperous nature.

We as a whole have chosen pride over humilty, convenience over quality, and tolerant over prosperous. How did this happen? Do we even see ourselves as ones who fit what is being said? Here are some questions to ask:

1. Do I have goals that are written out?
2. Do I consistently complain about things that IS NOT wanted, yet don't know what IS wanted?
3. Do I correct myself or refuse to get things that aren't necessarily desireable to my own standards?
4. Have I chosen my purpose or purposes in life?
5. Do I inspire myself?

That last question is an iteresting one isn't it? I think the best leaders inspire people to inspire themselves. They say or do things that trigger the things in other people so that they create or remind themselves of their own virtues and act on them. Watching the inaugurational address reminded me to be self-inspiring, to remember those things I want to accomplish in life and to achieve them, to be prosperous and to help the ones around me prosper.... to live the American dream!

I think there is going to be a lot of great things that are going to happen. I can't wait to enjoy them!