Turning Fear into Something Positive
I want to talk about fear.
The 2016 election has made America angry again. In all of the elections I have witnessed I have never seen one fueled by so much negativity. When past elections occurred I recall hearing people say, “I’m so nervous,” or “Oh man, I really wonder who is going to win,” however, this year was different. This year I heard the word FEAR more times than I can count. Citizens were literally saying that they were scared for the election and that they were fearful for who would win, and worried for what would happen when one of the candidates would win. It made me take a step back, because we as Americans should not FEAR an election and be worried for who is going to run our country. Ever. So, why now?
With social media exploding in the past generation people have been given the choice of multiple platforms to express their thoughts and feelings in a very public way. It is no question that when news hits television or the papers that it will end up on social media and all over the internet faster than I can eat my breakfast. Do you have an opinion on a subject matter? Tweet about it. Did someone do something to offend you? Go express your distaste on that person’s Facebook page for all to see. Want to share pictures of yourself to large groups of people at one time? Snapchat all of them! If you have the urge to record yourself verbally stating all of these things, there’s a Vine for that.
Because of all of our options for providing our voices in this stressful time it was no wonder that so many individuals used their social media outlets to express how they really feel, including all of the candidates up for election. It made this years election an interesting one, to say the least, because we were able to become more involved than we were ever able to in previous years. Although there are pros to being more involved, with it come some cons. One major con is the anxiety that has been following the fear—something that has been affecting thousands of Americans.
If you are experiencing any type of negative emotion following the election or recent events in the news, please seek help. Sometimes it is nice to see a counselor or psychologist so you have the option of venting, complaining, or processing news with an objective individual. An individual that will not judge or take sides, and one that is fully committed to hearing your concerns and will be able to offer guidance through your difficult time.
If you feel the need to get involved in the community to help get some of that energy out in a positive way, check out what your community has to offer! Tweet, Facebook, or Snapchat something positive instead of things that encourage fear. Turn your fear into something positive; Turn your fear into something you can be proud of. Fear does not always have to be negative, it can be something that fuels something even greater.
Be something great. Don’t be fearful.