All of us are waking up today to a changed world. For some, the world has changed for the better; government now feels within reach, priorities that felt neglected are now in play, and somebody relatable has been awarded power, rather than a member of the privileged elite. For others, our potential to grow has been lost to bigotry, intolerance and aggression.
This blog isn’t political, but I do care that you’re OK. I care that you feel safe and free to be, and to express yourself without fear of judgement or intimidation.
I know that many of you will feel bewildered and disappointed with the result of the US election. More will feel confused about how somebody who represents something so different from what feels right will soon become the most powerful person in the world.
So let’s take a few seconds to catch our breath. Our world is still turning, the sun is still rising, and we are still here. For as long as we are, so is hope.
Hope doesn’t come attached to a political candidate and if our chosen one loses, it doesn’t die. Hope is personal. It’s not realised when we elect somebody to a bigger home and a higher pay check, but when we personally and directly cause it to come alive. Hope exists when we introduce ourselves to the neighbour who we’ve never spoken to; when we give to the homeless and the less fortunate; when we smile as we pass people on the street and give them cause to believe the world might just be on their side.
We can create the change we want to see. Hope is like sunlight, straining to burst into a darkened room. We’re not responsible for its creation, but we can create the opportunity for it to reveal itself, and that happens at an individual level. We all have the opportunity to either suffer disappointment or to counter it.
If you feel disappointment today, I’d like you to give somebody a compliment. Just as a start. Do it sincerely and ignore that sense of awkwardness that stops you. Think of somebody you love, and what you love about them, and share it. They may smile straight away or they may not, but you’ll have sown something only good can come from. You’ll feel pretty good too, I promise.
Let’s keep moving forward, hand in hand, one moment at a time.