I'm inspired by the people I meet in my travels--hearing their stories, seeing the hardships they overcome, their fundamental optimism and decency. I'm inspired by the love people have for their children. And I'm inspired by my own children, how full they make my heart. They make me want to work to make the world a little bit better. And they make me want to be a better man.

In this reflection, Obama links public purpose to intimate, everyday sources of moral motivation. He describes inspiration not as celebrity or ideology, but as something encountered in ordinary people—especially those who endure hardship with “optimism and decency.” The pivot to children underscores a recurring theme in his rhetoric: politics as a generational obligation. Love for one’s children becomes both an emotional anchor and an ethical spur, translating private devotion into civic responsibility. The closing line—wanting to be “a better man”—frames leadership as character work, suggesting that the drive to improve society begins with personal accountability and empathy.