Hope happens, just like, well you know, poop happens. There is a lot of hoopla around Ann Arbor this week. President Obama is coming to town to speak at the University of Michigan’s spring commencement and it’s a bigger story than Santa Claus coming to town. Isn’t that something! And, Obama doesn’t even have a big bag o’ presents. Or does he? The gift he’s promised the nation is hope. His motto, Yes We Can, is like the motto of a national life coach on steroids. A lot of folks are eating it up like candy laced with a pathway drug to nirvana.

He reminds us that change is possible even though it’s hard. He talks about the need for everyone to hunker down and be patient, that sacrifice is necessary for deep change. Sometimes people forget that the real change agents are themselves. Leaders, pastors, Rabbis, gurus, teachers of any sort can be inspiring guides, leaders of a change process, experts in an area. But people are the real currency. They do the hard, in-the-trenches work of making change really happen.

It can be a real set-up for disappointment to rely on our leaders, whoever they are, to do all the change work. Leaders can set a context for change, think out of the box and wield their weight when necessary to get the job done. Real change lies with the person, and hope can be a catalyst to keep change going when it feels too hard or too futile. You may not be an Obama person, you may disagree with his politics, but the message of hope is a powerful message, and I hope that you carry it with you always. The choice is yours hope happens or poop happens, which do you want to predict?

Chris writes a blog and has a Web site. You can reach her at 734-669-7202 or by e-mail.