Some after election thoughts ...

A few after election thoughts this morning ...

Cheering your candidates victory, or grieving their loss may make you happy or sad for the moment ... in the end it all doesn't matter.

What matters is this .... for real constructive change to happen for everyone's benefit, you have to raise your individual and personal level of involvement in the process to doing something more than just casting your vote and then sitting back hoping the winner will do what you want them to.

Get involved yourself!

Start in your neighborhood or local community. Volunteer where ever there is a need. Commit to serving on a civic or community committee, or help build a playground, or feed and clothe the poor. Pick up the trash along a section of road. Drive around and really look at the needs in the world you live in. Take your children with you because they have eyes that see things more honestly and clearly than adults do.

Purposely work with people who are "different" than you in hopes of widening your "compassion vision". Or, if so called or inclined, run for public office yourself.

Expand you understanding by engaging in dialogue with "the other guys," which may be difficult at first because you will have to develop the greatest of of adult skills ... listening! You might find you have more common ground than you think. At the least, what may come out it is your discovering something you have a true core-value-connected passion for helping with.

Despite all the reasons listed on their resumes and bio's, candidates usually enter into politics for basically one of two reasons ... They truly want to help make things better, or they want to be in power. (Perhaps this applies to many other fields of endeavor as well??) I wonder if many who are celebrating or grieving the election results today are doing so because of a perceived gain or loss of power? From my experience, I believe that the ones running for office because they truly want to make things better, whether they win or lose, are already rolling up their sleeves this morning and going to work to make good things happen.

After you take the time you need to celebrate or grieve ... consider making the effort to take the time to ponder some way you can be involved in the process beyond just voting.

It's true, positive change for the benefit of many first begins in our own lives.