Don’t worry. I’m not about to lecture you about eating right, exercising, doing breathwork, meditating, and practicing self-care. Yes, you should do all those things, but that’s not what this is about. If the Presidential election stresses you and makes you feel powerless, I want you to start doing these five things.

Most of what you see and hear isn’t true, and if it isn’t a flat-out lie, it’s so biased that it may as well be. Your news source could be filling you full of so much shit, and it’s designed to make you worry. If you’re worried, then you aren’t peaceful. If you aren’t peaceful, you aren’t confident; therefore, you’re easier to control. 

People tend to worry about things that never happen. That is a massive source of anxiety, and it can be eliminated with mindful awareness and emotional intelligence. Look at the facts. When you hear a news story that scares you, research it. Nine times out of ten, it’s not 100% true. So, your worrying is in vain. 

Always be aware of what worrying is. Worrying is the same thing as praying for what you don’t want. Worrying is a perfect example of how you misuse your free will; free will is where your power lives and dies. Stay away from things that trigger worrying. The news is one of the biggest triggers ever, most of which you don’t even need to know about. 

Ask yourself this question. When was the last time you watched the news and felt better afterward? 

You know what I’d like to do. I’d like to start a news station that reports only good news. How do you think that would go over?

God gave you free will, which means you have control of your life circumstances. Use it wisely, and no elected official can dictate what you do. 

Here are three ways to use your free will to put yourself in a position of power, regardless of who is in the White House. 

• Always be a SNOB (See New Objective Beliefs). Look at the facts and pay zero attention to the subjective. 
• Choose the lifestyle you want and focus on that. 
• Resist the urge to be “right” when facing a political debate. Live with an awareness that you aren’t going to change anyone’s mind. Debating someone with opposing political ideologies causes stress and anxiety. 

Each time you argue with someone, you turn on your sympathetic nervous system, which causes poor health. But when you choose peace instead of being “right,” you turn on your parasympathetic nervous system, which causes good health. Use your free will to decide which you want: bad or good health.

Getting emotionally attached to a politician is as foolish as hiring a prostitute and thinking they love you. Politicians are charismatic and can make you feel like they love you. That’s rarely the case. They love what they do. And a big ole’ hierarchy separates us from them, which makes it impossible to know who they really are. The person we see standing at that podium is the product of a polished, well-orchestrated persona. It’s not real. It’s part of the job. 

What you see isn’t always what you get. Avoid getting so emotionally attached to a candidate that you’re defending them to your friends and family because you don’t know who you’re defending.

Not everyone will vote for your values. Do you know why? Because most of us are self-consumed. We’re egocentric when it comes to politics. We’re less likely to care if something doesn’t directly affect us, so it’s not fair or wise to hate someone for not believing in what you believe in. Expecting someone to vote for your values causes anxiety because what happens when you find out they didn’t? 

I don’t know about you, but I personally know some people who become enraged over this and cut ties with friends and family members. Do what you must, but I invite you to view this from a standpoint that has served me well. Judge people based on how they treat you, not on anything else. 

I have been treated quite poorly by people who share my political values, so I never judge anyone based solely on their political party affiliation. Be very careful when judging people based on their politics. What one person strongly believes in, the other person could care less because everyone’s life circumstances are different.

Elbert Hubbard is credited with saying, “Don’t take life so seriously. You aren’t getting out alive.” None of us are, including our elected officials. Moreover, none of us know what happens after we leave our physical bodies. Since no one knows what happens, condemning another human being for immorality based on your definition is not a wise move. How do you know their actions are immoral? Says who? 

Remove yourself from the judge and the jury. Avoid what you don’t like and embrace what you do. It’s not our job to judge people or correct what we feel is immoral. When we get into the business of condemning, judging, punishing, and trying to force people to be what we want them to be, we aren’t acting like God. But having empathy for someone we can’t relate to…that’s God’s work. Doing God’s work is way less stressful.

When used consistently, these five practices strengthen emotional intelligence, enhance awareness, and help you live in faith instead of fear. If you found my blog helpful and want to know more on this topic, please check out the November 5^th episode of The Thought Snob Podcast, available wherever you get your podcasts. 

Thanks again for giving me your most precious asset, your time.