On Day 1 post-election, I received a broadcast email from Richard Harwood of the non-partisan Harwood Institute for Public Innovation. It included the following:
“At this moment, my concern is not who you voted for. In fact, you’ve likely heard me say before that, no matter who gets elected, many of our deepest challenges will remain. I believe that just as strongly today now that the dust has settled.
My chief concern in these coming days is how we pick up the pieces of a splintered nation moving forward and fundamentally address the divisions, the mistrust, and the lack of hope that pervade our communities and society.”
“Fundamentally address the divisions.”
As I’ve said here many times concerning that task:
There’s no one person, and no political party or organization, corporate or business entity, group or non-profit, or even any ETs who are going to do this for us. It’s up to us to do it.
So how do we begin to glue back together again what has become so broken? …
The Harwood Institute—committed to “moving communities and society forward”—provides several “community-driven” actions you can take. In their report “Civic Virus: Why Polarization Is a Misdiagnosis” the suggestions begin on page 57 (“Let Us Create Authentic Hope”).1
However, I have my own suggestions for you. I’ve touched on them throughout my posts here. But I fervently believe that now more than ever before, the way out of this mess is primarily by practicing Kindness but also other practices:
- Practice Kindness and Self-Kindness—Do a “random act of kindness or senseless act of beauty,” every day. Maybe even several times a day. Likewise, identify what Self-Kindness means to you, and do it!
- Practice Connection—For example, strike up a brief conversation with a stranger in a checkout line. Compliment someone about something (but be authentic and appropriate). Smile at a stranger. Wave to a neighbor as you drive by. Get creative!
- Practice Compassion—“Hate the sin, love the sinner.” Those who are espousing or perpetrating acts of violence are acting out of anger—a secondary emotion usually based on a primary emotion like feelings of loneliness, powerlessness, or especially fear. Not a fun place to be. So have Compassion: say a prayer for them or send Light to them. Remember that they also have a spark of the Divine within them—a soul—and are part of Oneness.
- Practice sending out positive energy—Counteract all the negative energy out there by doing something that brings you joy, something that feeds your soul.
If you need some ideas, do a google search. For example, there are numerous lists of acts of Kindness and Self-Kindness you can choose from.
You may think it’s naive to think these practices can cure all our societal ills. But I’m not seeking that we all lock arms and sing Kumbaya together. That’s unlikely. There will still be “fringe groups” whose level of intolerance—even hatred—may be immune to basic Kindness. Some might even pose a personal threat to you. So practice discernment—be circumspect about reaching across the divide to certain people or groups. But don’t let this stop you from trying at all. These practices CAN make a difference. And every little bit helps.
The key is DO SOMETHING. Be proactive and take definitive actions.
As a “cheat sheet” to help you, I created a “Roadmap to Oneness” available here as a page accessed from the main menu at the top of every page. On that page and at the bottom of this page I’ve also provided a link to a pdf file you can download and print, post prominently where you’ll see it every morning, and choose an action from the list to do that day.2 You can also email it to family and friends, or print it out and post it on the bulletin at work, your favorite coffee shop, wherever.
So at this point post-election I think there are two basic approaches:
- Waging the “battle” within the divide like through the legal system, participating in demonstrations/protests, participating in or donating to a group that’s “fighting the good fight,” and more.
- Rising above the divide and, for example, doing the practices above and/or Rich Harwood’s suggested actions that start locally within your own community, or make it a point to pray for or send Light into the situation, to Humanity in general.
You may choose to do one or the other or both. But I can’t emphasize this enough: It’s up to us. All of us.
So it all comes down to one simple question:
What are you going to do to make a difference today?
As I always say: do something, anything. The time for complacency and leaving this up to everybody else is past.
And don’t give up hope. Don’t believe what the media says: that we’re a divided nation—with the implication that it’s hopeless. Maybe, just maybe, our constantly hearing that—reinforced by foreign interference in our social media—is making it sound way worse than it is. And don’t point to the election as proof either—remember that there are media and foreign actors purposely pushing misinformation and disinformation that influenced many voters.
Rather, if you read “The Civic Virus” report by The Harwood Institute (link below) you’ll see that the institute gathered careful data—from all socio-economic groups and geographic locations around the country—that shows we are more alike than not, that most folks on both (all) sides actually want the same things for themselves and their families.
Lastly I have to repeat what I’ve said many times throughout this blog: I believe in the basic goodness of Humanity. And I have faith in the goodness of the majority of the American people. We’ve been here before—and we’ve survived as a country. I’m inspired by a Facebook post by Dan Rather (posted June 2, 2020):3
“… this country, because of the best spirit of its people, can bend a lot without breaking. And when it rights itself, it often becomes more just, more empathetic, and more resilient.”
We CAN do this!
BTW—If you’re interested in participating in a positive virtual event, I suggest signing up for The Hardwood Institute’s event “Our Crisis of Belief: Reclaiming a Shared Path After the Election” on Thursday, November 21, 2024, 7:00 p.m.—8:00 p.m. ET. Rich Harwood’s work and approach is inspiring and uplifting. I’m already signed up. Join me!
Footnotes:
1 “Civic Virus: Why Polarization Is a Misdiagnosis.” Published by The Harwood Institute
2 Download and print out the pdf file at the link below.
3 Read Dan Rather’s full post here. It’s really inspiring.
Your Path to Oneness 
Thank you for sharing this! It had some gre
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