Filed Under: Intrinsic Branding, Leadership
By Chris Klonoski
I was lucky enough to see the Eagles when they opened at the Sphere in Las Vegas. Don Henley opened the concert by welcoming everyone “to whatever the f*ck this is.”
I couldn’t agree more. Welcome fellow humans, to whatever the fuck this is.
This campaign season feels like it’s been running for the last eight years. And I suppose, in a way, it has. I’m jaded, nervous, and worried, but mostly, I’m tired.
It is not an exaggeration to say that I receive unsolicited, fear-based messages every hour, seven days a week, in my texts, in my mailbox, stuffed into the corner of my front door, on the entertainment I watch, and as I drive by the street corner. I calmly reply, “Stop.” I tune out the advertisement. I walk from my mailbox directly to the recycling bin. (Do you hear me campaigns? They don’t even enter the house! You’re wasting your money!)
But they keep coming.
Opting out is not an option. They are unavoidable.
Collectively, they are far more dedicated, disciplined, and aggressive than I will ever be.
For once, distraction and the pursuit of joy may be working in my favor. I’m looking for a way out.
I am not burying my head in the sand. I know civic action right now is extremely important. But I have already voted. And I value my relationships. So, for the most part, I try to keep my mouth shut. I suffer no illusions that I will change anyone’s mind. And honestly, I don’t want to talk about any of it.
This means it is over for me until the actual results are in. I don’t want to spend the next few weeks in a constant state of high alert.
I know that when I feel that there are machinations at work that I am subject to rather than an influence on, it’s time to slow down.
I am not a good friend, wife, mother, or colleague when I feel hopeless. The worst parts of me start to sit in the driver’s seat and that isn’t good for anyone.
When it all feels like too much it’s helpful to remember the basics, the foundation.
Take a Breath
I don’t have a lot to say about this one that hasn’t been said a billion times before. Just do it. Breathe deeply, slowly, intentionally. Feel the air fill your lungs, then release it. Let each breath ground you in the present moment, away from the chaos of campaign rhetoric and fear-mongering headlines.
Realize You Are Not Alone
If there’s anything we all have in common it’s fear. We are all scared about how this will turn out and what it will mean for our collective future. If there is anything we are united in, it is worry. But in recognizing this shared experience, we can find a strange sort of comfort. Our fears connect us, reminding us of our shared humanity in a time when so much feels designed to divide us.
Remember you are a part of this planet.
There is no campaign currently appealing to your humanity or community, so that’s a good place to spend some time. You probably like most people, and they probably like you. You don’t have to sink into dread. Tune into the world not reflected on a screen – the leaves catching a breeze, the laughter of the neighbor kids, the smell of your husband’s cooking. These small, everyday moments remind us of the beauty and resilience of our world and our species.
Leave the shoulds and coulds behind.
In our weak moments – the middle of the night or during anxiety – we watch the hit parade of the shoulds, and what could happen, and old narratives begin to feel inevitable. But these “shoulds” are often just voices of fear masquerading as responsibility. Let them go. Focus instead on what you can control, on the small acts of kindness and connection that ripple outward in ways we can’t always see.
Choose to chill out.
In the face of relentless messaging designed to keep us in a state of perpetual anxiety, choosing calm is a radical act. It’s not about ignoring the realities of our world or the importance of civic engagement. Rather, it’s about maintaining our sanity and our humanity in a climate that seems determined to strip us of both.
So as we navigate the remainder of this year, let’s remember to breathe, to connect with each other and our world, and to let go of the narratives that no longer serve us. In doing so, we might just find the strength and clarity to face whatever comes next – not as isolated individuals drowning in fear, but as a community bound by our shared hopes and our common humanity.
Whatever the f*ck this is, we’re in it together. And maybe, just maybe, that’s enough to see us through.