Last week, Sacha Baron-Cohen (briefly) took over a Milan catwalk in character as the flamboyant Austrian fashion reporter Bruno, apparently as a stunt to promote his latest movie. Or maybe he just did it for fun.
The great thing about Sacha Baron-Cohen is that he makes a living by making a complete ass of himself. He makes money for doing things that redefine the bounds of socially inappropriate behavior. He also has a subtle agenda. He is Jewish and studied the American civil rights movement while at University. His outlandish characters point to the absurdity of anti-Semitism, homophobia, and ignorance.
What does any of this have to do with Barack Obama? Barak, like Sacha, has pursued causes about which he is passionate. Barack Obama didn’t become a community organizer to get rich or feed his ego. He listened to his mother when she said, “You have to make the world a better place.”
Sometimes, amazing things happen when you tune into your strengths and your desire to make the world a better place, whether by making them laugh (while exposing narrow-minded ignorance) or helping them to build better communities.
If you tune into what it is you love, what it is that makes you unique and special, have faith in yourself and take risks and follow opportunities, amazing things just might happen. Whether it be a once in a lifetime opportunity or (more likely) a small opportunity, explore it and see where it takes you.
Sacha Baron-Cohen and Barack Obama each reminded me of this, in their own unique ways, and my inspiration to risk greatness is renewed. I am especially inspired by Obama and the space he has created for himself in US history: without coming from a family of money or privilege. The man is brilliant and successful, despite coming from a single parent family and being considered “black.” Today is one of those days I am not ashamed to be a US citizen.
