According to the 715 mailers, 1,029 text messages, and 545 phone calls I received over the past few months, we had an election yesterday. Perhaps you're aware, too. It's been maddening, hasn't it? So many people want to change our lives for the better. At the same time, the people on the other side of the aisle are vowing to destroy our country and ruin our lives. So much at stake!
One thing is for sure: today is a day of reckoning. I don't say that because of how the elections went. In fact, I've been so preoccupied with my clients this week that I haven't even had time to take a breath to see how my local elections played out. I hope to digest that later this morning. Despite not knowing how any single election in the country played out yet, I can tell you with 100% confidence that today can and should be a day of reckoning.
No, not because your person won and will magically make your life better. No, not because your person lost and the evil person who won is hell-bent on destroying your life. Today is a day of reckoning because today is the day we can finally recognize that nobody has the power to dictate your life.....not even politicians.
Can politicians make policies that bend the needle toward or away from you? Sure, in some small ways. Do politicians have the power to impact the prevailing culture? Perhaps. Will politicians or political parties single-handedly make or break you, your livelihood, and your finances? Absolutely not!
So much of our society has this toxic belief that the right politicians/parties will turn their lives around, while the wrong politicians/parties will ruin their lives. If you believe either, you've already lost. If you're putting your personal future in the hands of an elected official, that tells me you've already given away the keys.
Yes, politics matter. Yes, elections are important. Yes, we should invest in the process. However, at the same time, we need to recognize that we must have accountability for our own lives, our own decisions, and our own pursuits. Nobody is coming to save us, regardless of what they tell us. Therefore, we must keep moving forward, no matter who's elected or who's in charge. That recognition must be our reckoning.
We have two years until the next election. Regardless of whether your side won or lost last night, make these the best two years yet. Be the author of an awesome story.
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