Figmentations

Election Day is just one day.  One Day that has been a long time coming.  One that will soon be here and will soon be gone.  But is it an end or a beginning?  Either way, many will say that it will be another four years before they get their chance to vote again.  But, that isn’t quite true.

The General Election is no doubt a very important decision day.  Yet it need not be a once-every-four-years event.  This election period has been one of the longest and most polarizing in a long time.  Combine that with the current financial crisis and the recent bailout package, one good thing that has happened is that people have again found their voice.  Current technology is making it so much easier to get information, to organize a collective voice, and to get those voices heard.  Keeping informed on the issues and participating to our government in any way that we can (including writing to our representatives) is something we can and should continue to do, Election Year or not.

Let’s stay informed and involved in government and hold our representatives accountable, not only on the national level but also on the state and local level, too.  The more informed we are along the way, as issues are being discussed and debated, the easier it will be for us to know where we stand, when to get involved, and what the real facts are when those more difficult decisions need to be made. Cramming for the test doesn’t lead to the same level of understanding and learning that comes from being involved and engaged in the pros and cons of an issue along the way.

Regardless of who wins this election, we all must strive to respect all models-of-the-world.  How else will reaching across the aisle be achieved.   Remember that respecting another person’s point-of-view doesn’t mean that we have to agree with them.  Once we can accept that different people have come to their own conclusions based on their life experiences and exposures, only then can we sincerely attempt to communicate with each other in ways that move us towards seeking that common ground from where we can them move forward together rather than driving people away from each other.

So, voting is “making a choice.” Keep in mind that this choice is not limited to just politics.  In a way, we vote every day with the decisions we make, e.g., what we buy; where we go; who we associate with; what behaviors are acceptable to us; what rules we choose to follow and enforce; what standards we set for ourselves and others; and what kind of lifestyles we want to lead.

It might be worthwhile to look at how you make your decisions. Most likely you have different decision-making processess for different situations depending on the complexity and familiarity of the issue at hand. Some questions to ask yourself include:  How quickly do you make your decisions?  How much time do you spend gathering evidence?  Are your decisions impulsive or a result of careful deliberation?  How informed are you before making your decisions?  How committed are you to your decisions, e.g., will you stick to them or change your mind soon?   How much of your “head” versus your “heart” (your emotions) went into your decisions?  What was your decision criteria?  What are the consequences of your decisions for yourself and others?  How do other people make their decisions?  

Decisions do shape our futures.  Choose wisely. And, keep in mind that decisions are learning opportunities, too.  And, decisions and points-of-view should also be reassessed and re-evaluated whenever new evidence or experiences provide us new insights.  

Surely we will have one president for the next four years, and this isn’t something we can change.  But we can change how we interact with our government during this time.  Whether it be in our day-to-day decisions or in direct involvement with our government representatives, let’s be sure to exercise our decision-making responsibilities actively, reasonably and respectfully.