Left or right, Red or blue – wherever you land on the political playing field, you have to be ready for it to be over. Please, someone—make it go away!
But today doesn’t mark the end of this tumultuous political season. Cities are bracing for riots, hospitals are on alert for cyber attacks, and citizens are struggling with record levels of fear and anxiety. How do we continue to move forward? With courage.
The word courage is rooted in the old French word Coeur (heart), and from the Latin word for heart, cor. It comes from the ancient idea that our character and emotions come from the heart. Therefore, to have courage means acting from the heart in the face of being afraid. All of 2020 has been steeped in fear. Death, illness, hurricanes, elections, the future safety and security of us as Americans. Fear can intimidate us, poison us, and gnaw at our soul. Tap into your heart of courage, and move past the fear.
Find your heart of compassion. In regards to the election, you believe in your candidate/party for certain reasons. So does the other side! No one is wrong on purpose. Reach across the aisle. Reach across the street! Our friends and neighbors aren’t wrong – just passionate about an issue that isn’t the same as yours. Listen to their views with love and compassion. What’s the worst that could happen? You see their point? It isn’t likely that it will change your stance or today’s choice of candidate, but it might help you understand a position other than your own.
As we await the final outcome of today’s vote – resolve to accept ‘the worst’ if it should occur. You voted, you did your part, now it is out of your control. Approaching your worry from this calm perspective can help you move forward after the results. Have the courage to accept the outcome and look for the positives that your opponents campaigned for. Half of the country isn’t wrong; they just feel differently than you do. But, one thing we all have in common, we’ll be glad it’s over. So, fill up that tub and relax. Calgon can take it away….
