The 2016 election was a HUGE deal for Americans. This year's candidates were mostly polar opposites on most major issues. Our country could have made history and elected our first female president. From many perspectives, this would have been a great milestone for our country. Instead we got a business mogul. A business mogul who has done very well for himself and his family in the private sector. As with most election results, there is always a mass of people who are unhappy with the results of the elections. Due to the unrest, there are protests that have turned violent. People are getting hurt and property destroyed. Social media blows up with anti-trump propaganda from some of the biggest names in the news, sports, entertainment, etc. This mostly adds fuel to the fire and makes the situation worsen. People need time to heal from an election that may not have gone their way and people need to be humble that their candidate was a chosen winner.
Regardless of your thoughts and feelings on Donald Trump, he is our president elect. Social media, protests, rants, etc. are not going to change that. He won fairly within the election system that we have in place. I have seen many rant on how the system in flawed. Maybe it is, but it is what we have. Instead of ranting, wasting our energy on protests, wasting our time hating, wasting our breath speaking harm, wasting our lives worrying, we should make the best of the situation and worry about what we can control in our lives. Regardless of who is president, we have the freedom to make choices in our lives to better ourselves and our situations.
I was never Obama's biggest fan. His policies were bad for the state in which I reside in my opinion, but I have never wasted my time ranting and raving about the policies or decisions he made while in office. I do not believe Obama was intentionally out to ruin lives, businesses, etc. I do not believe that is any presidents goal. They do what they see is best for the people of our nation. It is impossible as a leader to make millions of people pleased and to fix every problem the way people personally believe they should be fixed. Being president of the United States is a nearly impossible task in my opinion, but each leader has made decisions that they believe will better the nation and the people in it. Also keep in mind that the President only has so much power and it is the people in congress who pass the majority of the decisions that come to the people.
I do not know what will come with a Donald Trump presidency. None of us do, but we are all quick to jump to conclusions. Here are a few ideas that might help people cope with a Donald Trump presidency.
1. Quit watching the news!
I generally try to watch and read several different media resources. I read/watch CNN, NBC, FOX, NY Times, Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal, etc. I then form my own opinion based on the information I have read. Sometimes I will do research to fact check. This will come as not surprise, but each one of these news outlets is BIAS. They are working hard to brainwash us to believe in what they believe. Most of the time their information is skewed or information is left out to persuade you to join their side and their belief. Liberal or Conservative, it is important that we do our own research and come to our own conclusions. The news will depress, anger, frustrate, and lie to you. Watch it, but follow up on it. Make your own judgment. Don't believe everything you hear. Don't take each word from the media as gospel. Most people in America are educated to enough to form their own opinions. Don't get caught up in the media, it will destroy your free thinking.
2. You will survive the next four years!
Unless a modern day Civil War erupts, as some protesters are suggesting, most of us will live through the next four years of a Trump presidency. We all survived an Obama presidency that many thought was disaster. Many of his policies may have hindered many people, but as smart Americans people stopped making excuses and found a way to make their lives work. I assure you we will all disagree with Trump at some point, as we did with Obama. I also assure that we will all figure out a way to make it work for us. It is easy to sit back post rants on social media and bitch to friends/colleagues, but why not take that energy and put it to use in your life, business, etc. Trump might end up being a terrible president, but it will not be the end all for humanity. His policies might not be the direction you want the country to go, but his policies will most likely not kill off the human race.
3. Worry about what you can control What can you control to make your life better? What can you control to make your community better? What can you control to make more money? What can you control make your kids have the best childhood possible? Policies from Washington are generally out of our control. The majority elects the politicians that are in office in hopes that they do what is right for the people. You might feel they make the wrong decisions often, and you have a right to your opinion. Instead of stewing over the decisions, ask yourself, "How can I make that decision work in my best interest?" In America, we get to make decisions. Those decisions can make our lives better. Before we vent about politicians being scumbags and posting it all over social media, try to make a decision that will make your situation better. Control what you can the rest will take care of itself. Imagine if we put our effort into solutions rather than complaining about the problems. 4. Try to understand your neighbor