The Nobel committee mobilized the world’s emotions yesterday by selecting Barack Obama as this year’s Nobel Peace Prize recipient. This morning, I woke ready to help people take the next step beyond this momentous occasion because, like it or not, spouting opinions about an award this prestigious once it has been announced is beyond the scope of reasonable thought and energy expense. He won the award, period. It’s not like he’s some football star-turned-dog-torturer who needs to be stripped of his athletic medals.
Whether you like or dislike yesterday’s announcement, I offer here some advice about 'getting to the next level' regarding yesterday's news. Obama himself said this award is a call to action, so what better time to act than now?!
If you like Obama and what he has achieved, act first by celebrating! His administration, the committee, and the many, many others like you around the world deserve to have your voice added to the mix of celebratory song, for this is no small award. The committee's breathing hope into our world as well as its confidence in Obama's ability to effect lasting peace are very much worthy of your raised hearts and hopes. Ignore the naysayers. Keep on keeping on with the notion that world peace is possible; by giving the award to Obama, the committee obviously 'gets' that. Get even more inspired yourself now. Obama could be your inspiration for acting peacefully and civilly at every moment of your life! You could even invoke the spirit of John Lennon in the coming days: "You may say I’m a dreamer/But I’m not the only one./I hope someday you’ll join us/And the world will live as one.”
If you don't like Obama and/or this honor bestowed upon him for whatever reason, know this: The committee does seem to have erred at least once in history by never awarding Mahatma Ghandi the Peace Nobel. Ghandi, some might argue, was above the award, but indeed, either way, he WAS peace. No human can argue otherwise, so, based on that alone, you could possibly argue that there is misrepresentation in the Peace Nobel awardee lineup. Rest easy! Rest easy in this imperfection and sit down immediately and make a list of ten people YOU would have awarded the Peace Nobel to this year, and then write why, and then write to the Nobel committee with your suggestions and reasons. Your memo subject line to the committee could be something like "Maybe next year?” Keep on keeping on with the hope that YOUR person will win some day--there are so many deserving peaceniks and leaders out there, and I'm sure you know a lot about them all. Or, better yet, so you don’t have to sit down and figure all this out, take a REAL stand now! Become a world leader yourself so that YOU can win the Nobel! I hear it's really easy to become a fabulous world leader respected by millions.
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