3 Lessons from Barack Obama

   Whether we're trying to work through marriage problems or struggling through a divorce as a single parent, it's sometimes tough to deal with the obstacles we face daily. 

U.S. President Barack Obama has had his own obstacles in life. The bi-racial child of divorced parents, his mother remarried and his grew up with a stepfather and a half sister. On the day that he takes office, here are three tips we can learn from his life as we work to overcome our own problems.

1. Learn from your relationships -- even the bad ones.
President Barack Obama's father was never a real presence in his life. He was the product of a single parent home. His mother remarried and started a new family. Despite these challenges, he thrived. Why? He learned from every relationship. If you've failed in a relationship or someone else has failed you, you can learn the lesson of what you really want in your world.
 
2. Don't let anyone define you.
As the son of a white mother and a father from Africa, there have always been people who have tried to define President Barack Obama. It didn't help that his father was absent and his mother was a single parent for a time. He could have succumbed to the perceptions people had of his ability to achieve success in his personal or his professional life. But he didn't. Instead, he defined himself. At 47, he is a successful husband and father, attorney and politician. And today, he becomes the first African-American President of the United States.
 
3. Own your own choices.
Whether you're struggling to save your marriage or getting through a divorce, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by what's happening in your life and use that as an excuse for poor choices. President Barack Obama has admitted making poor choices in his own life as he struggled to deal with and absent father. The bottom line is you may not be responsible for the circumstances you find yourself in, but you are responsible for how you react to them. Take a lesson from the President. Don't be a victim.


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