Bullies

Nobody likes bullies. They aren't productive. They can make your life miserable. America elected a bully as their president, maybe by accident. Here's the thing about bullies, their behaviour stems from a position of weakness.

Bullies are trying to control the situation because they can't have it the way they want. They try to get out in front and cause grief for you before you can influence the situation.

Let me be very clear, bullies are not going away. Despite the anti-bullying campaigns, there will always be some people who resort to bullying tactics. However, the good thing is bullies only have power if we give them power. If they can't get under your skin, they will step up their game. They will become more outlandish in their behaviour. If you still don't give them any power soon they will have no choice but to retreat.

I know it is not easy. It's easy to react and lash out. It's easy to let our emotions drive our actions. We all do it from time to time. However, those schoolyard interactions can teach you something. They can teach you how to find a way. They can teach you how to see what is really happening and find a path to what you want.

Johnny Cash wrote, "Son, this world is rough, if you wanna make it, you gotta be tough." He was right. However, tough doesn't have to be mean. Tough doesn't have to be rude. Tough doesn't have to include standing off. 

So, President Donald J Trump acts like a bully. The thing is we can and will find a way around what he is doing and make the world a better place despite what he tries.

That's right. We can make things better despite Trump. Just like someone that tried to bully you in grade 8, you can move past it and find a way to be successful. The secret is simple. Don't react to what he is trying to accomplish, react to what he is actually doing. There is a big difference. His powers are limited. He is not a dictator, even if he tries to act like one. If he says I'm not paying for it, find someone who will. If he says you can't come here, find somewhere that will invite you in. 

All of this to say the world is going to be ok. We are going to find a way to make the world even better despite what Trump says or does.

What We Have to Do to Prevent Another Trump

It really bothers me that Donald Trump could use a platform of fear and hate to become President of the United States of America. We can't let it happen again. However, I get how it happened.


I truly believe that most of the people who voted for him are not bigots. I truly believe they feel trapped in the current version of America. The other option spoke about continuing the good work that President Obama has started. That will not inspire someone to vote for you who wants change. The only road to improvement goes through change. We must remember this.


America, this is what you have to do.


1. Vote. For a nation that talks a lot about democracy, you really don't practice it. You only get about half of your eligible voters to vote. This changes your strategy to win. If three quarters of your population voted every time because it is important and did not need to be motivated to get out and vote, you would see different platforms and different results. If you know most people are going to vote, now you need a platform that appeals to at least half of your eligible voters.


2. Speak to the majority as well as the minority. Both sides of the aisle stopped listening to and asking about white working class voters. I truly believe most don't mind if other people do well but, if it feels like everyone but you is getting some help, eventually you are going to do something drastic to shake things up.


3. Simplify the message. There is a lot of clutter out there. People are working hard to grab your attention. People don't want to feel like they don't understand. People want to receive communication is a manner that they understand. As much as Trump's message was short on substance, it was simple and it spoke to a lot of people.


America, you have made a real mess. It didn't start when Donald Trump announced he was running for President. It didn't start this century. This has been building for a long time and finally it came to a head. Too many people who thought they were smart stopped listening to a lot of people who have just as much say in the general election as they do. They didn't break down the message into easy to understand and digestible bites. They dismissed millions of people as insignificant. Look what happened. A guy who knows how to reach people came along with a very simple message and won it all. He used the establishments perceived strengths against them. He spoke directly to the people. He used consumer data to understand what mattered to them. He went to them. He didn't ask them to come to him. He sold ball caps to people who wear ball caps and he wore one as well. He knew what he was doing and the other side didn't even notice. It was in plain sight. He didn't hide it.


So, what we have to do is, listen. We have to listen to the minorities. We have to listen to what may be perceived as the ideal. I know a lot of people think life is easy if you are a white man in America. It may be true but it really doesn't matter if you feel like things are not going well. You only know your own experiences and we have to listen to everyone's experiences. We have to acknowledge their problems because they are real to the person facing them.


Someone else is going to try and do what Trump did, and their agenda may be much more evil than his. We need to prevent this from resulting in the next guy's success.