How to Reclaim the Next Eight Years. (Patreon)

I like many of you slept, but enjoyed no rest. I like many of you woke up every thirty minutes and checked up on things. There were moments of hope yes, but I think we all knew where things were headed. And I like many of you started grasping blindly for someone, anyone, to blame. But unlike those who found a branch to cling to, I found a hole, and I fell into it and there was nobody there but me and my fear.
I've been afraid for a solid year. It seemed as though with every hopefully story twelve more horrific ones came crashing down on my head. It's exhausting, it's dehumanizing, and frankly it's exactly what some have planned. I am done being afraid, it hasn't helped me.
So what next? Now what? What do we do? I don't know, but here are my suggestions.
1. Self-Care/LoveYou are special. You are worthy. You are amazing. I could tell you that all day every day and it'd be true but if we can't start loving ourselves, the wait for others to do it for us will be a long one. Take a day off if you need to. Quit the job you hate. Adopt a pet. Start going for walks. Start a new project. Eat a doughnut. Cry it out. But each step of the way acknowledge your weakness and shortcomings, and be kind to them. Be okay with who you are, especially your faults. We have enough bullies to worry about, let's start being nice to ourselves.
2. DiversifyMany of us are asking how did this happen? how could this happen? how did we get here? The simple answer is "Divide and Conquer." Every person in every community has something to share and something to learn, but we'll never know that if we keep closing each other off. There are so many forms of oppression that keep us apart, and it's always been easier simply to leave it at "that's life." It doesn't have to be that way. Reach out to new people. Listen to new people. Invite new people in, open up to them, protect them. A community is nothing if it isn't growing.
3. Don't Blame - TryIn spite of how it feels, our division and oppression is NOT set in stone. We have an unhealthy obsession with "success" and an even unhealthier obsession withe "failure." These things hold us back from making the world what we want it to be. Trying is better than not trying. It could be picking up a book by bell hooks. It could be going to a lecture. Joining a bi-weekly community group. Watching documentaries. Giving money. Showing up to protests. Running for office. Volunteering at a school. Writing a poem, dancing a dance, painting a portrait. We can't wait anymore, we have to try. Trying is enough. Who's to blame if we're not trying?
BONUS: for my people, the White folk:
4. Listen and Learn from People of Color
People of color didn't make Trump president. We did. We did with our assumptions. We did with our deflections. We did with our inability to heal the wound that is our collective, historical, institutional racism. We have lied to, shrugged off, belittled, injured, and killed members of our own family in service to racism. It has to stop somewhere, right? So don't just listen to people of color. Anyone can do that. Listen and learn. Challenge yourself, challenge others, pass on words of wisdom on and question the rest. United we stand, divided we fall. We fell. We fell real hard on our own swords. But it's not too late. I'm not saying people of color will show us "The Way," I'm saying "The Way" hasn't been built yet, only together can we see it done."The dream doesn't die because of the Donald Trumps in this world. Know that someday, we will have our day in the sunshine again... because no good dream in the service of others ever dies."-Lee Mun Wah