Barack Obama does Humans of New York, and the internet LOVES it

The Humans of New York Facebook page is easily one of the most popular on the site, and while it generally gives an insight into the lived experience of anonymous members of society, yesterday it put Barack Obama under the spotlight.

Shortly after Donald Trump was elected the 45th President of the United States, Barack Obama, who spent two terms in the White House, shared a message with the public which was added to the HONY page.

In an incredibly candid account of his rise to power, the father-of-two revealed that constant knockbacks resulted in a loss of confidence and sense of unease about personal goals.

“I first ran for Congress in 1999, and I got beat. I just got whooped. I had been in the state legislature for a long time, I was in the minority party, I wasn’t getting a lot done, and I was away from my family and putting a lot of strain on Michelle." he said.

"Then for me to run and lose that bad, I was thinking maybe this isn’t what I was cut out to do. I was forty years old, and I’d invested a lot of time and effort into something that didn’t seem to be working."

In an attempt to inspire others, Obama shared his method for navigating personal and professional pitfalls, continuing: "But the thing that got me through that moment, and any other time that I’ve felt stuck, is to remind myself that it’s about the work."

"Because if you’re worrying about yourself – if you’re thinking: ‘Am I succeeding? Am I in the right position? Am I being appreciated?’ – then you’re going to end up feeling frustrated and stuck."

"But if you can keep it about the work, you’ll always have a path. There’s always something to be done," Obama finished in a post which has been likes 752,000 times since its upload ten hours ago.

The post has been inundated with support from Facebook users, with one writing: "I will always be proud to have lived during the Presidency of Barack Obama. He was the true progressive and he'll be sorely missed."

"He and Michelle brought so much grace, youth, and intelligence to the White House. They're so *real* too, just genuine, fun-loving people." added another.

Donald Trump will be sworn into the Oval Office in January of next year.