Part of the Solution

I was just talking with a client about her distress over the events at the Capitol and what may happen now. She lives in a small town in the midwest and she sees and hears a lot of upsetting rhetoric and was feeling deeply afraid.

We talked about the fear and what she could do to feel safe. Dwelling on the fear, putting that energy out into the world was not serving her or helping to protect her family. She knows some ways to manage her anger and realized she could use those same techniques with the fear she was feeling.

Our call has me thinking about the energy I’m generating with my doom-scrolling and schadenfreude as I watch the president’s influence diminish. There are millions of angry people out there who believe in a different reality from mine. We have a long way to go to be able to communicate with one another. I am not yet ready to offer forgiveness to the mob that stormed the Capitol, but I don’t want to be another person spewing hatred or cowering in fear.

A friend recently recommended Ezra Klein’s book, Why We’re Polarized and I got a copy. I’m hoping it will help me understand and maybe in a small way be part of the solution.

Originally published at https://lizsumner.com on January 12, 2021.