Mantras for an Election Year

I will not judge you for having opinions that are different from my own.

With rare exception, people are good. Ideas, policies, behaviors can be bad.

Curiosity instead of judgment.

I will not dislike you as a person for having beliefs or convictions that are different from mine.

I will not post, engage in, or keep internal dialogue that is condescending, patronizing, hurtful, and/or contains “put downs” or divisiveness.

I will prioritize self-awareness, kindness, and empathy.

I will practice healthy boundaries in relationships.

I will attempt to have a healthy relationship with screens and media of all types.

I will seek out face to face connection in my relationships, as a first choice and when posting online I will be aware of my potentially vast and varied audience.

I will not give unsolicited advice.

I will respect that you are capable of coming to your own conclusions.

I will attempt to avoid labeling people, making assumptions, or making generalizations that may be be harmful and inaccurate.

I will attempt to put myself in your shoes, imagine how you would like to be treated, and then act accordingly. When I have questions about this, I’ll ask you directly.

I will seek first to understand and second to be understood.

I will remember that I’m often wrong.

When I’m wrong I will apologize, make amends, and strive to do differently.

I will think critically when gathering information.

I will think critically about my own experiences, socialization, and cultural influences in order to be mindful of the lens through which I see things.

I will be aware of context and use sensitivity when passing along information that others may not have.

I will pay attention to language.

I will aim to be impecable with my words.

I will be accountable for my statements and actions.

I will seek to uncover and work to mitigate and eliminate my own biases.

I will remember that my experience is very different than the experiences of others and I will seek to know more about the experiences of others.

I will keep in mind that many things are not as they appear on the surface, and that many times I have seen that things are ultimately, counter intuitive to me.

I will strive to remain open.

I will be mindful of my ego, of fear, and of anger, and when triggered I will examine and adjust.

I will challenge myself to resist the urge to turn away from others and instead, go towards connection.

I will remember that peoples’ opinions are just a small part of who they are and are based on the information that they have, stemming from their own unique experiences, personality, and culture.

I will remember that people are doing their best and want to improve.

I will identify harmful behaviors, patterns, policies, and systems; but not people.

I will support leaders and policies that seek to build and support systems that are fair and empowering towards liberty for all.

I will attempt only to give and only to receive, love.

I will see conflict as opportunity for growth.

I will accept that others may not share these mantras and principles.

I will regularly reflect on these mantras and add/delete/change as appropriate.

I will do my best, but I will not expect perfection from myself.

I will let go of expectations of others.

I will keep my sense of humor.

I will not lose hope.

I will practice mindfulness in order to take breaks and not get burnt out.

I will aim for balance and moderation in all things.

I will have a healthy relationship with my thoughts about the election.

I will stand by the principles inherent in these mantras, with the knowledge that I cannot break my principles, but only break myself against them.

 

-Alisa Reed, LCSW-R