Well, That Was Suboptimal

In January, Donald Trump will take office and something will happen—either a continuation of his first term, which adhered, mostly, to the norms and letter of the constitution, or something darker and more destructive. We have purchased our tickets, and soon we’ll go for that ride. 

But however much worse things become with respect to justice, protection of immigrants and other vulnerable populations, our personal finances and jobs, and so on, we retain some important agency in our futures. We can come together to protect the things we cherish, and in the next three months, we’ll begin to put strategies in place. More importantly, the President and governments do not control our minds and our mental health. We may not be able to control politics, but we can control how we react to them. 

I always try to remember the example of the Dalai Lama. However bad we worry Trump may be, the US in the late ‘20s will be better here than Tibet in 1959. Thousands were killed then, and Tibetans’ way of life changed at the barrel of guns. Many fled for their lives and became refugees. Despite all this, the Dalai Lama managed to keep his joy and hope alive. He didn’t allow the Chinese government to destroy his life. Instead, he spent that life working to improve Tibetans’ lives, cultivating his core tools of compassion, kindness, generosity, and joy. Anyone who has seen interviews or spent time with him has seen his buoyant, joyful personality. 

We need to center our own experience not in the world Donald Trump (or any leader) is trying to create, but our own. This doesn’t mean faking happiness, but centering it in the things that really matter: our connections to loved ones and friends, the natural world, the activities that give our lives meaning, our spiritual lives (which of course need not be expressed through religion). Our kindness, compassion, and generosity issue from within. Like the Dalai Lama, we can cultivate them in our lives. Trump controls the government, but we make our own lives meaningful. 

It's not going to be easy, but like the Dalai Lama, we can choose joy. In the long fight ahead, we'll need it. Be well you wonderful people, take care of yourselves and hug those nearby. We will persist, and with a little effort, flourish.