Terrified of the Election Result? - Give Me 10 Minutes!
You're going to be just fine. I'll prove it to you. Come in, and let's analyze your thoughts and feelings rationally. You'll feel better. I promise.
I know some of you are suffering right now
I get it. You are afraid that everything you were led to believe will now happen. Trump is Hitler, after all, and the world is about to end any minute now.
Your rights will be stripped away, Jesus will return, women will become birthing mules, Putin will sit in the Oval Office playing nuclear poker with Kim the Second over a bottle of Vodka, and gays will go straight overnight.
Here's what's a lot more likely to happen:
You won't like seeing his face and reading his messages on social media. It's an inconvenience, I know. You might even feel ashamed to call him your president.
There will be no more (or less) war, crime, or suffering than today (probably). I would argue he's a net positive, but you won't believe me despite all the evidence.
Nothing much will change for the worse (or better) in your day-to-day life. No rights will be taken away. There will be no civil wars and authoritarian takeovers beyond petty revenge plays in politics and minor policy changes.
Before you know it, another election is at the gates, and you get to do it all over again, just like every single time in your life.
How many presidents have you lived through?
How were you impacted?
Did you survive?
You even survived Donald Trump's first four years of rule. You're practically a veteran at this. Easy peasy.
Here's what can help: Turn off the TV and the internet and go out in nature. You'll see that the world is calm and at peace, with or without the "orange Hitler" making fun of people on X.
It's not worth it
I want you to know that you are wasting time, tears, and energy for no good reason whatsoever. And you will prove it to yourself. Let's start with a history lesson on your predictive and emotional powers.
Take a notebook and do this simple exercise
I promise you'll feel better after. Write everything you can think of and be honest with yourself. The more you write, the better.
Think long and hard about (in writing):
How has any individual election practically changed my life for the worse (or better) directly? Write it in detail, make a long list, and ponder the results.
What is the worst-case scenario that can come from this? How likely is it? What proof do I have? What is the more realistic probability? Could I be wrong? Write it all down.
Have I consistently correctly predicted political, economic, social, and global events based on my fears? Write a list of when you were right, why you thought so, how you felt, and what became of it.
Donald Trump has been a president before - how did I survive his rain of terror? Where did I suffer most? What did I lose? What did I gain (if anything)? What was different and better now with the Biden/Harris rule? I'm serious. Face this fear of yours!
What can I do about this election result I don't like? Do I have any realistic tools to turn back time? Can I change this fact of life? What is in my power? If nothing, let it go!
If you had done this exercise (please do it), you would have gotten a different picture than what your excited emotions are telling you right now. Unless you are a genius analyst with access to the best data, your feelings and sources of information are lying to you. They lie to all of us.
I'm fairly certain Trump didn't represent a significant factor in your life before, and he won't do it now unless you make it all about the bad orange man. You don’t need to get triggered.
It's a choice - your choice!
Why make it?
Why let him ruin your peace of mind?
Why even think about an old man in a white house?
Why not just live your life regardless of who's in office?
What's stopping you?
The wiser you get, the more you realize the fundamental truth about life: You know nothing. You never have all the information. You can't predict the future. Your thoughts and emotions don't mean anything. You don't even see the world objectively. Everything is just an opinion, a perspective, not some absolute truth. Make peace with it, allow others to have different opinions, and you will feel instantly better.
The future proof for your eyes only
I will ask you to do something extraordinary - prove to your future self that nothing matters and that you were all hell-bent out of shape for nothing.
This will help you see (in four years):
It is pointless to worry about things beyond your control, especially politics.
Just how accurate your feelings and predictions were.
How reliable your sources of information turn out to be.
The list of my predictions (yours)
Open a file or a notebook, date it to today, and write the following:
How am I feeling right now? Describe it in vivid detail. Let it all out!
What am I afraid of regarding Donald Trump's presidency? Write down all your fears and be specific!
What do I believe will happen in the next four years? Details! Write everything you can think of.
What will my future self think about this moment and perspective in four years?
In four years, reread this list and ask yourself:
How accurate were my predictions? Had everything turned out better or worse than I imagined?
How reliable and accurate were my feelings and thoughts four years ago?
How reliable were my sources of information?
Come back and let me know your results in 2028
I have a strong feeling that you will realize that you blew it all out of proportion, and this awareness will help you navigate the rest of your life without having to experience extreme mental and emotional ups and downs.
I'm hoping that you feel better already. I always leave feeling relieved and with new-found clarity.
Make it a habit of processing your thoughts and emotions by writing them down. Sometimes, just giving them validity in expressing them does the trick, and we feel better instantly.
My personal opinion
Society's pendulum swung too hard into the left extreme, and it must find its balance again. This is a much-needed moment for correction. It’s the way the universe and humanity works. We swing wildly, but in the end, we make progress and become better people.
Why not take the time to see what the other side thinks instead of calling them mean names? Listen to the long-form interviews with Trump and his camp. You still won't agree with everything, but that's okay. I'm sure, however, that your fears will be put to rest because they are hyperbolic nonsense.
Always go to the source for the truth.
Trump's victory is a triumph of democracy
The people have spoken. They chose a different path, and you must find a way to respect that. Right or wrong, this is what democracy is all about. A swing left, a swing right, a new face every once in a while, and nothing much changes.
It's impossible for everyone to be happy—ever. Last time, they lost. This time, it's your turn. Either way, you all lived and will be just fine. Focus on what is important: health, love, and time, and remember to count your blessings.
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