Can people really make meaningful changes in their lives?
Today, we swear in our nation’s 44th president, a president who built his campaign on the idea of creating change. Barack Obama will lead a country facing problems both numerous and massive: a tanked economy, a broken health care system and hostilities in the Middle East. But let us, just for now, forget about the changes being discussed in Washington and instead focus on the individual – the you and the me. The presidential inauguration comes at a time of year when many of us have made New Year’s resolutions to better ourselves. We want to quit smoking. Grump less at our spouses. Launch new careers. But can we do it? Can we create meaningful, lasting change in our own lives? They sure do seem to struggle in Hollywood. Oprah continues to battle her weight. And Lindsay Lohan. She’s gone to rehab how many times? Paris Hilton made a 2007 post-jail promise to dedicate her energy to making a difference; in December, she made a difference to the Australian economy – by dropping $4,000 on des
