After last night, here’s what we can do…

After last night, I found these words swirling around in my head. I had no intention of ever writing on the subject but I make my living as a speaker and blogger, writing words every day.  Today, I felt that any other topic would be trite and disingenuous.  Knowing there is only one subject weighing on nearly every American’s heart and mind….the election.

Some are upset, devastated and scared. Some are elated, optimistic and inspired.  No matter where we land, I believe what matters most is not how the winner and loser respond but how we respond, as citizens, parents, friends and neighbors. The candidates face daunting tasks in their next steps. Ours is actually much simpler if we focus (now more than ever) on what matters most. I woke up today the same person as yesterday in that my beliefs and values have not changed. Furthermore, I believe that I’ve found a way to reframe them in the context of unity after this election that I hope might resonate with others.

Please here me loud and clear that I am not simplifying or minimizing the impact an election has on our our country, the financial markets and even the world. However, I believe there is great opportunity and powerful impact in how we respond to each other.

Here’s what we can do:

• Love our neighbors – All of them… even the ones that we don’t know very well or the ones who voted differently. Open our homes, invite them in for coffee and build community.  We need each other.
• Be Present – Life is short and one of my rules is to Be Present and be mindful of distractions, especially the digital kind.  Tonight, I will put away all the electronic devices, cook dinner and enjoy game night with my family. We’ll probably have some questions from our son and I want to be in the moment to hear his thoughts and perspective. He’s watching us and listening. All of our children are watching how we respond. Here are some ideas on what to say.
• Be Generous – Another one of my rules. “We can be generous with our possessions, money, time, talents, words and more.” Generosity with our words means uplifting comments and thinking the best of each other no matter which side of the aisle you are on. 
• Agree to Disagree – This day was always going to end with one winner. Unlike football, there are no ties. I want to convey the importance of respect for differing opinions to my son. My job as his parent is to model our family values such as honesty, integrity, respect and love. Nothing about last night has changed that.
• Keep Voting – Every time we can. We live in a country where we can do so relatively easily. Let’s never take for granted our right to vote, worship, assemble, speak and more.
• Make an impact – Feeling like your voice was not heard? Offer your time and talents to make a difference in the issues that are important to you. Actions speak louder than words.

I pray for our country and our conversations. Thanks for reading.