Choosing Hope After Election Day 2024

This morning, as I watched the sun rise on this historic Election Day, I thought about the certainty of change. Whether we’re ready or not, the world shifts — just as the sun climbs higher, bringing light to everything it touches. While we can’t control these changes, we can choose how we see them and how we respond.

Today, as Americans — and truly, the whole world — we feel the weight of fear. It’s the cornerstone of the Trump campaign: to make us feel small, scared, and to submit, “whether we like it or not.” As maddening as it is to hear a bully and watch so many of our fellow citizens agree, we still have a choice. We always have a choice.

Kamala Harris’s campaign reminds us that we don’t have to dread what may come. Instead, we can feel hope and act from our deepest values. When times are tough, this is exactly when we need to choose calm and shift our focus to what we can do right now. Here are the 7 Key Perspectives from my book, Wayfinder, to help guide you through this important day:

1. Awareness: In each moment — morning, noon, or night — you can choose to be fully present. Notice your surroundings, your breath, the steady ground beneath your feet. When fear pulls at you, return to this moment. Here, now, you can see clearly and choose wisely.
   
2. Kindness: Begin with your thoughts. Replace harsh judgment with understanding — for yourself and others. As election results unfold, consider how you might offer support to those around you. An encouraging text to an anxious friend, a moment of patience with a stranger, or a gentle word where tension rises — these small acts ripple outward.
   
3. Curiosity: When anxiety predicts the worst, pause. Look beyond your first thoughts. What else might be possible? The future holds more possibilities than our worried minds can imagine. Stay open to unexpected good.
   
4. Courage: Remember that courage shows up in small moments. Standing up for what’s right. Speaking truth with compassion. Supporting others who feel afraid. Harris shows us this — each step forward, no matter how small, matters.
   
5. Truth: In the swirl of political and cultural injustice, stay anchored to your deepest values. What matters most to you? What kind of world do you want to help create? Let these truths guide your responses throughout these days.
   
6. Grateful Optimism: Even amid uncertainty, notice what’s good. The dedication of volunteers. The passion of young voters. The sisterhood of women and the men who support them. The resilience of democracy itself. The Harris campaign shows us how to hold both challenges and possibilities, focusing our energy on what we can change.
   
7. Lightheartedness: Find small moments of joy each day. A shared smile. A child’s laughter. The taste of your favorite food. Joy isn’t a denial of serious times—it’s the energy that sustains us through them.

When the sun sets, know that you met this day with intention. Each moment brought possibility, and you chose to meet it with clarity and hope. Dawn always follows, bringing another chance to see the world as it can be, and to take the small, steady actions that make a brighter future not just possible, but inevitable.

Gina Farr is a guide, author and speaker who helps people navigate change with clarity and purpose. Her new book, ‘Wayfinder: 7 Simple Ways to Navigate Change and Live Without Regrets,’ is now available in limited release. To obtain a copy or learn more, visit thewayfindersguide.com or email gina@thewayfindersguide.com.