Election day is upon us. For the presidential seat, approximately half of the voting population will win and half will lose. My prayer is that we can win well and lose well.
We the people.
We make this country. We rely on each other. We determine how our fellow citizens feel. In our neighborhoods, in the work place, in schools, and in general. Choosing to believe that anyone who votes different from you is ignorant, or evil, or completely unfounded is ignorant. The issues embedded in politics are MANY, yet we focus on a few. If you can’t hear differing perspectives, that’s sad for you.
Reframing potential post election sentiments:
Instead of:
I can’t believe anyone would vote for (opposition).
Try:
I need to try to understand how anyone voted for (opposition) because I can’t see what people would like about them.
Instead of:
Our country is doomed.
Try:
What can I do to change things?
It seems scary but if over half the population feels safe with (opposition) I trust that we will be OK.
General Reframing
Replace FEAR with FAITH
Replace DEFEAT with ACTION
Replace OVERWHELMED with FOCUSED
Replace HATE with LISTENING
1. Fear is natural. There are ways to keep it in check though. A couple techniques:
Find good people who think differently than you and focus on them. This will help you realize people who think differently are not actually bad people.
Limit watching political news. It is intended to scare as a persuasive tactic. Don’t be a pawn.
Have faith that there are enough good people (and there ARE) to keep our country good.
2. Defeat is temporary. Sitting sad about it won’t do any good. Find somewhere to volunteer. Go for walks. Look for ways to help change future results.
3. Minds tend to swirl. Find one or two areas to focus on. Tackle one item at a time. Politics actually have very little direct effect on our daily lives. Think about it. You control your daily action.
4. Again, if (opponent) wins, there must be reasons. Listen to what people are saying. It will not only open your mind, it will likely give you slight peace of mind, even if you disagree. Hearing the positive traits about a candidate will decrease the disappointment about their win.
If your candidate WINS
Congratulations! Now in your celebratory happy dancing, remember about half the population lost. Knowing you don’t hate every person who voted for the opponent, remember they are feeling how you would have felt if your candidate lost. Having people gloat or dismiss your feelings isn’t fun. Show grace and modesty. Have a little mental personal celebration. Share the joy with others you know voted like you. Just make sure you really know they do.
