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I believe that in life we must not wait to be called upon by others, we must call upon ourselves.
I write this in reference to my request to meet the United States President Barack Obama.
Throughout my life I have always believed that if you desire something in life you must first take the step of faith and ask. The worst thing that can happen is you get denied, denied for now.
Anytime you get denied it is only for now. If you really desire something then persist. History is filled with people that persisted and found a way. Thomas Edison is the best example of this.
I personally am not afraid to follow my bliss. It has never failed me. And it will never fail me. My fuel is passion, my vehicle is love and with that combination I know I will be driven to some of the most amazing places.
I have decided to post the letter I sent as my request to meet Mr Obama. Below are 2 examples of where I have applied my philosophy of ‘asking in order to receive’:
From a young age I have understood the concept and importance of giving. I was born in Rio de Janeiro Brazil in 1986 to a situation of limited opportunity. In 1989 my mother decided to take a chance and relocate to Australia with my 5 year old brother and I in the hope of creating a new life of opportunities for us. That initial step of faith from my mother has brought me to where I am today.
Upon arrival in Australia we first spent time in the Fitzroy commission flats before my mother found more stable accommodation. Despite our lack of financial resources my mother always taught my brother and I the importance of giving through making us spare some of our limited possessions such as clothes and toys to give to kids less fortunate than us.
It is values like this which were instilled into me and has shaped my world view and life crusade. I have always been taught about equality and how very simply one can bring joy into another’s life.
From as young as I can remember I shared a common dream with millions of children around Australia of one day becoming an AFL player.
As I progressed through the junior ranks of football that desire became stronger and stronger. However my ultimate passion in helping people through giving grew at a much more rapid rate and I decided that it would always be my way of life.
In my high school years I used my leisure time to study the great men and women of history who did just that, change the world through their leadership in compassion and hope. The more I learnt, the more my passion for this grew rapidly.
When I finished high school at age 16 I decided that it was time for action. I became a volunteer at Barry Cabel’s Community Development Foundation. My involvement meant that I would drive from Perth to Northam (160km north of Perth) every Tuesday (sometimes twice a week) to mentor Indigenous Primary school students.
There I was exposed to the harsh realities of the many plights of our Indigenous population. However that was not my only lesson from that experience. I most importantly learnt how much little effort is required for one human being to give hope to another through compassion and empathy. That year left me with valuable experience and even more fire in my belly to fulfil what I saw as my ‘life purpose’.
That year was also the year I was eligible for the AFL national draft. I used my high work ethic and natural talent to become a prospect for the Draft. I knew that not only would I be able to live out a childhood dream if I were to be drafted, I would be able to combine that privilege with my ‘life purpose’ of giving hope to others.
On draft day November 2004 I waited for my name to be called out, but unfortunately like the thousands of draft hopefuls around the nation my name was not one which any club chose to call out.
Despite the reality of not being picked I was determined and convinced that my ‘life purpose’ included playing AFL because it would give me the necessary platform to carry out my messages and actions of hope to the masses.
I was so sure of this concept I decided to call the Collingwood football club to tell them I was willing to pay my own way over and find a place to stay if I could get the opportunity to train with the club for the 2 weeks leading into the ‘Rookie Draft’. They accepted and I was on my way.
I have always maintained a high work ethic in my football from day one which has been fuelled by my vision of the ‘bigger picture’.
I have always recognised the circle of influence Australian sports people, in particular AFL footballers have on society and have always felt that more often than not this circle of influence was wasted. This has been a source of my frustration even before I started with Collingwood. This has also been my main motivation to ensure I reach a level which allows me to use that circle of influence in a positive way.
I may not be regarded a ‘superstar’ of the AFL; however I have solidified my place in Collingwood’s Backline to become a vital cog in the team. In doing so I have been given many opportunities to live out my original intentions of becoming a beacon of hope through my words and actions.
In my 5 years at Collingwood I have volunteered my services through many ways that allow me to use my circle of influence to relay my messages of hope to a greater audience. These include;
- Becoming the Burnet Institute Ambassador; which allowed me to travel to Mozambique, South Africa and the Congo to relay the messages of these countries current situations to an audience that would not traditionally acquire that information
- Become the AFL’s Multicultural Ambassador; helping people of culturally diverse backgrounds integrate into society through sport
- Volunteer work with the Salvation army; Feeding the homeless once a week
- White Ribbon Ambassador; stopping violence against women
- Written articles in the Age newspaper; on my personal experience with suicide and my ideas on the unity Australians saw this country is capable of during the Victorian bushfires
- Speaking at the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development to the staff members to inspire them to implement the new human rights charter.
- Volunteer work with youth African Immigrants at the inner city commission flats
- Sustainability Victoria; to promote the importance of sustainability to a greater audience.
- Visits to an Adult mental health recovery unit; to give hope and empathy to the unfortunate sufferers.
My involvement and partnerships with those organizations and programs plus many others has allowed me to live out my ‘life purpose’ for I know I have directly and indirectly made a positive impact through utilizing my circle of influence.
I desire to meet individuals who share similar visions and crusades as myself, so that I can feed off their energy and continue to drive myself towards the direction of giving hope to all people.
This is my way of life. That is why I would love to get the opportunity to represent not only the AFL or the Collingwood football club, but all the other affiliations I have made in my short time and will continue to make, in meeting the United States President Barack Obama in his visit to Australia.
For me, this is much more than a meet and greet where I would then be able to walk away with a story to share with my grand children about the day I met with President Obama.
This is about the voice of the children’s cries I still hear in my head from the HIV infected Orphans I cared for in Africa, the millions of women violently abused throughout Australia, depressed men who see no other option but to end their lives through their own hands, indigenous youths following a chain of dysfunction, forgotten homeless mental health sufferers throughout Australia and Immigrants to Australia who have trouble integrating into Australia culture.
I realise meeting President Obama will attract abundant attention from all sources. I would not only use that attention to speak about how wonderful a personal experience it was for me, but as a greater opportunity to share our mutual messages of the ‘Audacity of hope’ (a tattoo I bare on my left Tricep) and how anyone in society can bring hope to others and make our Australia and our World a harmonious place.
This is my dream and my life purpose
Live for hope
Harry O’Brien
