There’s a lot I don’t know, obviously. Like the majority of my fellow Americans, I did not envision an election night in which Donald Trump would get elected. I never took his campaign seriously. Until now I made a point of never publicly discussing politics, and seldom even privately (often to my family’s amusement and perhaps, disgust). Politics are personal. They’re a way of expressing our deeply held beliefs.
Unlike the pollsters who are wondering what they got wrong, though, I’m not looking back and wondering what I missed. I’m holding on to my convictions. I may have missed a lot of information but here’s what I do know. These are a few of my fundamental truths and they still work going forward.
Words are powerful
Words are used to communicate and to influence people as the candidates did throughout their campaigns. Obviously, it worked. Here’s what’s important to remember now: words literally imprint on our brain. They affect our neural pathways. That is reason enough to look for some glimmer of hope — to be kind to yourself.
As divisive and hateful as the words of the presidential campaign were, the concession and acceptance speeches made conciliatory efforts. The effort made in those two speeches was a positive start to calming inflamed emotions and neural pathways.
Each of us is governed by our core values
The President, former Presidents, campaigners, you and me — we each have our core values to live by. It is up to us to choose to act on them. If we pull them out when it’s popular or convenient, or when someone at the helm of an organization tells us to, we’re abdicating our responsibility — and our adulthood. One man does not, and never has, led us. We may, or may not, appreciate his values. We are the people. Each of us are governed by our individual values.
We are all connected
In this quantum world, we are individuals living a web of interconnection. We can pretend to be separate and isolate ourselves but we can only fool ourselves temporarily. Our actions impact everyone else. Call it a wave affect, a ripple affect, or causal connection — we are one world. As Dr. Larry Dossey eloquently outlined in his book One Mind: How Our Individual Mind is Part of a Greater Consciousness and Why It Matters, being connected presents our greatest opportunities. In order to realize those, we need to heal our pain and injuries.
We do need change
Both candidates in any race promise change but in 2016 the majority voters showed they seriously wanted something we’ve never seen before. They didn’t care about the standards of qualification, education, preparation, or other factors that are traditionally pre-determinants for office. We all need to listen to what is really needed for all of us. And then, let’s ask ourselves how we can help make that happen.
This is not the end
One man does not, and has never, ruled our country. That only happens if each of us abdicates our individual freedoms and rights. The exquisitely beautiful, and sometimes painful, country we live in is part of a complex political system. We are part of it. We need to continue doing our part.
Everything we see is just a part of the overall view of a vast universe that is not visible to us
As one of my favorite philosophers, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin said, “We are spiritual beings having a human experience.” For all the many things we are blessed and capable of seeing, they are but a tip of the iceberg of what exists. History provides a perspective that brings clarity to all we can’t see before us.
The power of the individual is formidable
Perhaps because we are those spiritual beings having a human experience, what each of us chooses to do individually has immense impact. You can change someone’s day with a smile and a kind word. You can change someone’s life with a generous act. We can change the world by continuing to move forward with trust in our beliefs and ourselves.
I choose Love, all encompassing universal Love, still and always.
If I can help you find peace of mind or clarify your truth, please connect.
