Disappointment. Broken expectations. Hope being dashed.
You did your civic duty, researched the options from candidates to measures, you marched to the polls, waited in line, and cast your vote.
Maybe you were even more involved. Campaigning for the person you just KNEW was going to change your community or state. Volunteering your time going door to door or making phone calls on your candidates behalf.
Only to watch election results and see that they were behind, just slightly, as more results come in, you realize that they weren’t going to win, and finally, the official announcement of the other party winning.
Now what?
Disappointment is potentially one of the worst feelings EVER. Being hurt and having hope lost has the tendency to bring out the worst in people. I hate broken expectations and disappointment as much as all of us.
Americans, and the world if we’re being honest, need to do a better job of being kind to each other.
This election season brought to light what the state of the country is, with most political ads just bashing their opponents, calling each other liars and wrong for the state.
What if instead of bashing what you hate, calling Republicans liars and racists, or calling Democrats crooked and dishonest, you loudly proclaimed what you loved about your candidate and their stance????
There is so much negativity in the world today, from the insanity happening in the agriculture industry with foreign trade, to immigration laws and programming.
Think of the mindset change that would occur in your daily life if you only spoke on the positives that you knew was true.
How much more pleasant would that make you as a person?
Sure there are times when people need to know about things politicians who are in a position to lead a state are needed.
But bashing fellow voters, neighbors, strangers, and even friends because they don’t have the same political views that you do? That’s BULL.
As Americans, we all share the same rights. The constitution and its amendments are truly a magical thing that gives opportunities some only dream of. You have the right to say you hate the president. You have the right to go vote. You have the right to protest for what you believe in.
As a very strong-minded and strong-willed person (Leadership skills am I right) I often voice my opinion when it comes to issues that are important to me. In all of my conversations, do you think civil discussions occur if I start screaming at the other person that they are wrong, and that they are a waste of oxygen for voting the way they did? Of course not. But even a simple conversation about food safety can take a great turn through trying to understand perspectives other than our own.
We owe each other better. We owe our coworkers, neighbors, stranger on Twitter, friends, and even family better.
It takes zero energy to be a kind person. It takes less time and emotional energy to share positivity than to spread hate and disdain.
Even if your candidate lost, and you’re disappointed, hurt, and angry, make the conscious choice to be kind today.
Sarah's NoDak living 