The story of Nelson Mandela is a remarkable testament to the power and influence one man can have on the course of human events.

History is often taught (and as a result understood) as a succession of great movements and competing ideologies that together shape our individual destinies; the narrative would sometimes suggest an inevitability to events that we as individuals are powerless to resist or influence.

But Mandela's example reminds us that history is shaped by individuals, especially those who in their own lives live up to the ideas and ideals they come to represent.

Truth spoken and in turn taken to heart by others, and echoed by deeds and moral certainty, combine to create perhaps the greatest, most powerful force known to man. It has the ability to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles, changing political and social landscapes that have prevailed for generations in the blink of an eye.

It is what allows a ragtag army of rebellious 18th-century colonialists to thwart the single greatest military and economic power of their day -- inspired by the words and examples of men like Washington, Jefferson, Adams, Henry and Madison.

It is what brings freedom and democracy to Eastern Europe after three generations of Soviet hegemony, propelled in succession by the equal resolve of men and women like Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Reagan, Thatcher, George H. W. Bush, a Polish pope named John Paul and a Polish shipyard worker named of Lech Walesa.

It is what helps lead to the independence of the second-most populous nation on earth, India, through the example and teachings of a simple, humble man named Gandhi.

And it is what allows Nelson Mandela to walk out of prison after 27 years of hard labor without bitterness and hatred for the jailers who robbed him of his wife, his family, his freedom ... but not his heart, or his dignity, knowing that only by embracing his political enemies will he be able to unite his country and avoid the bloodshed and economic ruin many felt would be the inevitable consequence of the collapse of South Africa's onerous apartheid rule.

In this country, we have had our share of great leaders over the years, though that adjective has been sadly missing for the better part of the past generation.

But there is always hope.

Inspiration, like change, can be instantaneous. President Obama has said on many occasions that he has been inspired by Nelson Mandela's words and actions. Perhaps Mandela's passing will inspire the president anew.

In his 2008 campaign, the president promised to change the toxic atmosphere in Washington by working across the aisle with his political opponents. Sadly, that has not been the case.

If anything, the atmosphere in the nation's capital is even more toxic today than it was when he arrived.

That is not to say this is entirely his fault. It is not. But that doesn't really matter. As president, he has the greatest leadership role to play. He has been placed at one of those turning points in history -- like Mandela when he walked out of Robben Island prison -- where he can either transcend the mundane and reach for something greater ... or simply shrug his shoulders and settle for the status quo.

Second terms are often when presidents try to cement their legacies. What legacy could be greater than to truly, truthfully, work to build common ground among all the branches of government and all the representatives that the people have sent to Washington to work on their behalf?

What work is there to be done that would be greater than this?

This is the time of year when resolutions get made: when we resolve to do what we know we should have been doing all along.

So perhaps as the president lays down his head at night in the coming days and weeks, with thoughts of Nelson Mandela's legacy still fresh in his heart and in his mind, he will consider this:

What slight or petty difference between you, Mr. President, and your greatest political rival can possibly compare with the differences between Nelson Mandela and his enemies?

His greatest gift to you awaits.

A lot can be done in three years, sir, but the work begins with a moment of recognition and inspiration.

Robert Frederickson, a freelance writer and former editor of the The Sarasota Weekly, lives in Sarasota.