Healing

trump

Now that the nastiness of the U.S. campaign is behind us, I can once again enjoy watching football without getting disgusted by the political ads at every break. More importantly, we can begin the healing process.

The first step in healing is to accept the outcome. Like it or not, Donald Trump was chosen through the electoral process and will soon become the 45th President. The idea of lashing out at people, marching in protest, or making nasty comments on social media is not too far off from your young child having a tantrum because he doesn’t want to go to preschool. He’s going, there’s no option. Trump is headed to the White House and at this moment, you can’t change that.

What if Trump turns out to be good at the job? Perhaps you don’t share his ideals or have issues with the kind person he is. I’m the first to admit that Trump was not my first choice for the job. Years ago people feared the idea of Ronald Reagan in the White House. He certainly had some ideas that went against the establishment. In the end he was responsible for many advances in the country. Even the majority of his critics ended up being thankful for his contributions.

Stop feeding the anger. If you want to lose weight, eat less food. If you want to heal from the anger brought on by the divisiveness of a nasty campaign, stop exposing yourself to that which fuels the negative emotions. If that means avoiding Facebook for a few weeks or refusing to watch CNN then so be it. Your life will continue on and I’m sure someone will let you know if something major happens.

Once you stop fueling the anger, the next step is to let go of it completely. Maintaining anger is like holding a grudge. It’s a cancer inside you. Your energy turns negative, the fury festers and if you maintain the resentment long enough, it will not only infect you mentally but physically.

My friend Raleigh shared a quote with me this week, “Your life will change radically when you begin to value your relationships more than you value the need to be right.” The message here, regardless of where your opinions lie, your chances of convincing someone with a strong opposing viewpoint to come to your side of the table are infinitesimally small. If you try, you will create animosity. Save your persuasive arguments for those that are unsure, undecided, or lack conviction.

If you are golfing and hit a bad shot, you can put your energy into complaining about it or you can simply play the ball where it lies. For those of us in the United States, it’s time to accept the situation, let go of the hostility and begin the healing process.