”But what’s happening out there is causing my feelings”, you may insist. “How can I be a caring and responsible American citizen and not get politically reactive? Isn’t that what being politically savvy and involved in the welfare of our nation is all about?”
The truth is that it’s thoughts like these that indicate just how taken over by victim mind you really are!
What choice do you have, you ask?
Start with noticing your hyper-reactive state.
Now, ask yourself the following questions ….
a)Are my thoughts about this situation grounded in reality or do they reek of reactivity?
b)Does it really help my candidate win (or keep your blood pressure stable, for that matter) for me to get SO reactive that I end up resorting to name-calling, or even attacking, those who don’t share my political opinions?
c)Does this approach actually further my candidates campaign?
d)Do you notice a part of yourself that actually gets an adrenalin rush from your political rants?
How you answer these questions indicates where your real interest lies: whether it’s to truly participate in the democratic process or whether it’s more about simply proving that you’re right and/or that your candidate (country or self) is indeed being victimized by the other party.