Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States on Tuesday and told Americans that sacrifice and hard work would be required to make up for “our collective failure to make hard choices.”

Before the entire world and a crowd that was estimated to be the largest ever for a presidential inauguration, President Obama emphasized the need of responsibility and change. “Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America,” President Obama said.

Without hesitating to point out the problems that exist today, President Obama stated that “our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions — that time has surely passed.” He did not attempt to downplay any harsh reality that the nation faces, as he described, “For everywhere we look, there is work to be done.”

President Obama warned the nation that its problems “are serious and they are many,” and those issues will “not be met easily or in a short span of time.” However, he highlighted his hopefulness by saying, “know this, America — they will be met.”

As the first African American to serve as nation’s top leader, President Obama acknowledged the historical significance of his presidency by describing himself as a “man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant.”

President Obama pledged to restore the economy by creating jobs, improving education, and developing alternative energy. He also promised to confront terrorism, nuclear proliferation, and other threats.

Summing up the changes and their positive effects, President Obama boldly stated that United States of America is “ready to lead once more.”