It’s been quite a crazy time in the United States of America. One of my observations is that we were NOT one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all as our pledge of allegiance declares. Maybe we get a pass since the kids were not in school to say the pledge every morning due to COVID-19, but geez, this was the most outrageous & unacceptable behavior of Americans that I have experienced in my entire life. I do not want to politicize this as that is another huge discussion nor do I want to place blame on any one person or group for the chaos. What I would like to discuss is how we can move forward considering the past few years are not worth repeating.
- Stop saying “He’s not my President”. We have the right to vote as does every qualified American. We all do not hold the same opinions or beliefs so your vote may not be the same as your neighbor’s. There have been plenty of times that a candidate I voted for won, and there have been plenty of times that a candidate I voted for lost. Regardless, we need to trust the checks and balances process. We need to support the people we elected to keep our country moving forward. Denouncing the elected leader & holding impeachment trials seem counterproductive, and quite frankly, makes it seem like you’re a bad sport. I would think a more resourceful use of time and money is allocating it to ensure that what you support and who you support will be captured in the next cycle.
- Instead of speaking viciously about others, tell us about the wonderful work that you have done and plan to do. A now senator told me that she would not run a smear campaign against her opponent, and that she was running on the merits of her work. It proved to be a successful approach as she now works closely with the former opponent. The things you say about others, say a lot about you. Really. You never look good trying to make someone else look bad.
- We are not different in our big picture goals. At the end of the day, I believe that we want two simple items: to be prosperous and to be safe. Speaking up for your beliefs is completely different than looting retail stores and vandalizing. Wearing a mask or not should not denote a political statement. The intent is to protect us. Unfortunately, COVID-19 affected us globally. The stock markets dropped, unemployment rose, businesses struggled and some failed, people got very sick and some died, etc. This tapped into the opposite of safety and prosperity. It’s up to us as a country to be united, and to get through this so we can live in abundance and live safely.
I want our next generation to be engaged with what is going on in our community and our world. We are role models to our children, our families, our coworkers, and our friends. If we behave poorly, and our children emulate us, it does not make the world a better place. When you take a role model mindset, you are trying to make a difference, make an impact, help others, inspire. So I challenge all of us to act with kindness, speak with good intentions, and focus on the big picture. It should be a wonderful lesson learned.