The aphorism “the past does not equal the future” is not theory or a motivational tidbit but is a matter of practical real life case. I wrote a very personal intimate book on Barack Obama titled Moving Forward highlighting this principle of the past does not equal the future.

Moving Forward! is based on my intimate personal experiences based on my personal conversation over lunch then dinner with Barack Obama in Kenya - before becoming president of the United States. With Barack Obama there was simply not past in his personal life that could have made him the most powerful person on earth. It was simply his character that was shaped by him constantly moving forward adapting to situation one bit at a time – encouraging himself in the midst of pain. That in a way explains his “moving forward” tagline during his successful re-election campaign.

Also take a look on Marilyn Monroe. Marilyn Monroe is similar to Barack Obama in fundamental respects. Marilyn Monroe and Barack Obama had come from broken families leaving them as painful personalities as they grew up. Marilyn Monroe and Barack Obama’s childhoods were colossal state of pain and sadness. But both these two personalities stood up and define the landscape of world history. They shaped and change America and the world profoundly.