fired up.

"Barack Obama will require you to work. He is going to demand that you shed your cynicism. That you put down your divisions. That you come out of your isolation, that you move out of your comfort zones. That you push yourselves to be better. And that you engage. Barack will never allow you to go back to your lives as usual, uninvolved, uninformed."

-- Michelle Obama

This is why some of us chose careers (or, for the time being, jobs) in public service. Because we want to be "do-gooders". Because we want to be informed and engaged and make people's lives better. We want to sacrifice for the common good because we know that our sacrifice will come back to us and make us richer than we ever imagined (And no, I'm not talking "wealth").

You don't need to become a public servant to sacrifice for this country. You can help others every day. Talk to someone. Save more money (that's probably the best thing you can do - for yourself, for your family, and for the country). Volunteer regularly. Contribute to effective charities that are active in your community. Volunteer at your child's school. If you have a choice - many don't - work at a business with a social conscious. Many of us in the middle and upper classes have been given an amazing luxury of choice in our work and our time.

Let's start acting on those choices. We don't need a movement to make environmentally friendly choices. We don't need a movement to be conscious of the people around us. We don't need a movement to volunteer, to choose ethics over ill-gained profits.

We don't need a movement, but fortunately for us, we have one. We have a movement and a President.