I’m usually not a nervous eater, but the night of November 8 watching the presidential election results on television I reached for everything in sight to stuff my face. Like a bad hangover, my lethargy and unease lingered for days. I found reading Facebook posts and watching the news upsetting. As the week progressed I found myself less upset by the outcome and more anxious by the outpouring of anger that resonated coast to coast. People were angry before the election; people are angry after. If I felt anxiety as an adult, I can’t imagine what young kids watching the news and listening to their parents were feeling.
What I personally hoped for and stood for: a qualified woman President who stands for women’s equality and freedom of choice did not happen. The unceremonious red carpet that swept the U.S. map has many Americans red faced with anger. But rather than staying agitated in anger, let’s re-channel that fierce energy into positive energy. If a decision has been made that you cannot change, you can either change your attitude and accept the outcome, like it or not, or be an activist for change for the future.
I reached out to a friend of mine in California who campaigned hard for Hillary Clinton to tell her I admired her work and was sorry her candidate had lost. She responded with graciousness, not anger, and said she’ll just keep working hard for what she believed in. I was comforted by her spirit.
Having cancer taught me a lot about dealing with anger. You don’t choose to have cancer. But you can choose how you deal with it emotionally. You can fume with anger or funnel your energy to take better care of yourself. It takes as much energy to create calm as it does to stay angry.
Taking a stand and having a voice are important whether you want to instill calm or instigate change. Either way, the sun and moon still rise and set. How you fill the hours in between with your attitude and actions are your choice.
