Thoughts after the election
One of the most wrenching and divisive presidential elections in recent history has just concluded. As the nation was split before on the worth of the major-party candidates, so it appears to be split now – between jubilation and anticipation, on the one hand, and shock and grief, on the other. Some hope that the institutions of government will provide stability; others, feeling abandoned or betrayed by their elected officials, hope to utterly remake those same institutions. Either way, we are likely entering a turbulent period in American life, and it’s up to each of us to help minimize that turbulence, for ourselves, our families, our communities, and our country. Now more than ever, we’re called on to invest our energy in strengthening each of those rings of our lives. But how?
Ourselves
Care of the self is essential, especially during periods of upheaval. In order to face down fear and confront change, you have to make a priority of improving and maintaining your mental and physical health. Physical fitness helps combat stress, strengthen your immune system, and improve your sleep. A mindfulness or spiritual discipline helps build your patience and your equanimity, and it also can build community, by bringing you together with like-minded individuals who support each other’s practice and share each other’s values.
Our families, our communities
Our families and communities will face significant internal and external pressures. Those who feel vindicated by the election and those who feel victimized by it may nonetheless be connected by ties of community and family. The most vulnerable will, as always, be the most disenfranchised. But our communities get stronger when disenfranchisement and discrimination get weaker, and efforts to uphold the vulnerable must begin close to home. A profound patience, coupled with a firm insistence on the rights of the most vulnerable, is never more important than in a time of stark social division. We all need to participate in and take strength from that effort.
Our country
Now begins the period of transition from candidacy to leadership, and of executive authority from one political party to another. We all have to walk the line between being committed and being consumed, between staying informed and getting inundated by information. When feelings run high, patience and compassion can help defuse confrontation and build resolve. Those attributes, though, must be accompanied by a commitment to getting and staying involved in community-building activities. Advocacy, volunteerism, and consistent and conscientious participation in the democratic process are essential to each of the concentric rings of our existence.
If we work to cultivate our own mindfulness and compassion, support our family members, uphold the rights of the vulnerable, and maintain engagement in our communities and institutions, we are building strength and resilience, as a tree does, from the inside out.
So go back out there. Be patient but persistent, mindful and compassionate. Volunteer in your community and for your country. Keep breathing, keep caring, and keep working.
We are not all the same, but we are all in this together.
–David Gottlieb