Most Americans are looking forward to today with a mixture of anticipation (Will my candidate win?), trepidation (What if my guy loses?) and relief (Thank goodness all of this will be over.). It’s easy to get caught up in the energy and excitement of the numbers as they are discussed and displayed across TVs and computers, but it’s also a good time to step back and reflect.
Today is an exercise
in patience
This is a close election. We may not know the outcome until late tonight. Watching FOX or MSNBC all day won’t change that. Relax. Live your day. You’ll know the results soon enough.
in respect
This has been a very heated partisan election. My Facebook feed feels bipolar with extreme posts on both sides. When I find myself prickling at someone’s post, I take the time to remember the reasons I love that person and that they are much more than their political views. Listen to others with an open heart even if your mind doesn’t agree. We have more in common than we often realize.
in perspective
It’s easy to believe that the results of today’s election will determine the course of the next four years. It will, of course, have an impact, but is only a single variable in a sea of possibilities. Today, it is everything, but 20 years from now it will most likely be a hazy memory.
in speaking up
We are lucky to live in a country where our vote counts and we have the right to speak our minds. Take advantage of that right. Vote.
in letting go
Roughly half of the country will be disappointed tonight. If you are one of those, use this opportunity to practice letting go. Maybe your candidate didn’t win, but holding on to that will only keep you stuck in a bygone election. Rather than bemoan the results, create results in your own life. Besides, we’ll do this all over again in another four years.