It’s just a new President. Really. The Constitution is still in place. The Congress is still there. (I was going to say “functioning”, but that would be a new development of late.) The Judiciary branch is still doing its thing. We have just changed one piece of this amazing puzzle of a democracy that has worked so well for over 200 years. The sky is not falling. Really. It may be rattling a bit with the change in how the wind is blowing, but it’s not falling.
The angst with this particular election outcome is unique. It’s as if the whole country has forgotten that one party wins and the other loses every time we do this. To the “victors” each time comes the hopes that they are going to get things exactly as they want. To the “defeated” comes the frustrating truth that they will have to wait. And that’s never the way it turns out. Neither party ever gets things exactly as they wanted! Because we are all part of this. Not just the “winners.”
It’s as if people are assuming the President is an absolute ruler who does whatever he wants and has the right and the role to change whatever he chooses. Donald Trump may even believe that. It doesn’t matter. That’s not the way we role as the United States of America.
This is about ALL of us doing what we can to make this country a place we can all live together-fairly and at peace with each other.
If you want a great country, add some effort of your own. Little easy things can help a lot. Donald Trump may say he is going to Make America Great Again. But that ain’t gonna happen if it’s just him trying to pull it off. Particularly if what he thinks would be “great” isn’t what the rest of us have in mind.
If you refuse to do anything to improve the situation because you hate Donald Trump, you’re missing the point: It’s not his country! It belongs to all of us. Refusing to make things better because he is part of the picture makes about as much sense as refusing to plant a garden because you don’t want to eat the peas you spouse always plants. SAVOR THE REST!
Martha Beck once wrote: “The happier you are, the more joyful the whole world becomes.” At a minimum, do something to generate joy. In your loved ones. In yourself. In the people you meet while waiting in line for your coffee. We can start to turn this around just by being nice to people every time we can.
We do not need to let this become a war. If we become happy enough, Donald Trump will be superfluous. If he truly is about “making America great again” even he would be happy with that.
Come on! Smile at somebody!
This article originally appeared on Mary’s website, www.mining-silver.com. Mary is author of Supercharged Retirement
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