I forced myself to watch Donald Trump in action at his Phoenix rally Tuesday past and was truly appalled at what I saw and heard from the leader of the United States. My feelings ranged from out right anger to confusion, sadness, criticalness, disappointment, and down right bewilderment. I also wondered about his capacity and ability to lead a nation.
I felt helpless to do anything constructive about what I had just witnessed. Number one I am a Canadian so I have no say in matters of US politics. Number two even if I were American what could I do? All my years of personal spiritual growth and this is what it has come to? What’s the point of all my efforts to lead a good life of service when the leader of the free world is a man of Trump’s divisive mean-spirited, lying, bullying tactics – the exact opposite of what I know and believe in.
Shit!#@$%^!!*&*!!!
Ranting and complaining is not the answer. That is simply a reaction to my buttons being pushed and in a way adds fuel to an already blazing fire.
What then is there to do? – First, notice…
- Check and see where in my own personal life I use tactics like Trump uses. Where am I bullying my family members? Where am I building walls? Where am I pointing fingers and blaming? Where am I being a petulant angry boy?
- Notice where in my family life others use these same tactics.
- Notice where in my community these qualities of divisiveness and mean-spiritedness are showing up.
I need to be brutally honest and call myself, and my family members on those behaviors that build walls and cause hurt, upset, and separation.
What to do Next…
- Stop those behaviors I do that get in the way of authentic and healthy relationships. Instead of bullying ask a question and reach out to build relationship not destroy it. Take responsibility for my own actions and refrain from any blaming, point the finger at me. Grow up.
- Set healthy, clear boundaries around such behaviors as bullying, blaming, and judging. Offer an alternative creative or construct approach. Build a bridge towards the other not a barrier.
- Get involved in advocating for what I want to see in my community.
What could it look like? Simple actions I will take…
- Invite my mother-in-law to play cribbage with me and not swear.
- Instead of making each other wrong we will find ways to make each other right. Uplifting speech as opposed to putdowns and judgments. Put a poster of family building values up for all to see and live by. I will appreciate my wife more for who she is and what she does.
- Run for council in 2018 in my municipality of Maple Ridge, BC. Campaign on a platform of what I want more of in my community not what I want less of. (Don’t give the negative any airtime!)
Though these actions for change may seem small in comparison to Donald Trump’s largeness they will be effective in my home, neighborhood, and community. I encourage you to give it a try it might be way more constructive than complaining.
Big change happens in small ways!
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