I started writing this post nearly a year ago, prior to the 2016 presidential election. And while we know the results of the election, everything else in this post is still relevant. Actually, it feels quite timely at present.
No matter if you vote for or against the circus peanut or the pantsuit, your vote won't save the world. The next president will not have the power to enact racial reconciliation, justice, equal access to quality healthcare, life, liberty or the pursuit of happiness. No matter the policies your preferred president puts forth, the power to bring about meaningful change in the world will remain where it's always been, with you.
I hope you find that more encouraging than daunting. The choices you make day in and day out and the way you treat the people you encounter have greater power to change the world than anything Washington decrees.
So what does that look like? It begins where slacktivism ends. That means what you do in real life is so much more significant than what you post on social media. It's as simple as treating everyone you meet with dignity and respect. It's as difficult as putting aside your preconceived notions based on anything other than your shared humanity with everyone. Hopefully that's not at all difficult for you.
It's Red Sox fans and Yankees fans seeing each other as humans first. It's Democrats and Republicans building relationships beyond bumper stickers. It's people with all sorts of different beliefs and backgrounds greeting one another with grace, regardless of what the news says we should fear.
It's love instead of hate. It's light instead of darkness. It's peace instead of worry.
Turn off the news. Put down your phone, tablet, iPuter, etc. Go outside. Talk to your neighbors. Skip the self-checkout line and actually interact with a cashier. Engage with people more than technology, and make the world a better place one relationship at a time.
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