eThoughts : A Call to Politicians

As yet another presidential election looms, and as all you candidates are vying for attention and influence, perhaps it’s time to not do business as usual.

Consider a world where influence is less important than well-being. Perhaps it’s actually crazy to think that you can’t do much if you don’t hold office or institutional power. If being elected is the only way you can contribute, than you probably can’t contribute much. Besides, winning is not the beginning of well-being, consideration is. The better power is not the ability to control people or events, it’s the ability to practice consideration of others.

Consider that the art of recognizing reality does not mean one has to enable it. That corporations may be running the world, that the media may be running information, that fear may be leverage, does not mean you have to embrace those doings. Perhaps the best candidate is the one who recognizes that there is a better economy in promoting consideration for all—after all, that’s what our country is supposed to be about.

Consider that the difference between heaven and hell is caring as opposed to resentment. The more we resent, the more hell we create, the more we care about others, the more heaven we create. And try and remember that claiming personal and/or institutional power in the name of caring is nothing more than a power grab. How can you tell? Consider how much resentment you’d have if your power is threatened. If we all base our power on our ability to consider others, how would that be threatened by other than those who won’t practice consideration?

Consider that obedience is mostly for children, reasoning mostly for adults. A propensity of adults being blindly obedient is how entire nations go down the tubes—and for good reason. The less adults are allowed or encouraged to think and the more they are supposed to be obedient, the more likely those in authority are up to no good.

Consider the likelihood that people are only as stupid as you wish to make them. If people don’t know, it’s more likely because we’re being manipulated rather than informed. Secrecy is actually easy, transparency more complicated. It’s harder to be better when it’s only others who know what’s actually going on.

Consider that your own well-being is a delusion when it’s based on taking from others. And abusing the trust you’ve promised may be one of the worst forms of taking. Actually, consider that state of abuse as nothing less than theft.

Consider that being wrong is human. Crafting an image otherwise simply sends yet another wrong image. The issue is not about being wrong, it’s about recognizing it and then doing better.

Finally, for now, consider that if you’re elected it is not to serve, it is to be a steward. Serving others is a job waiting on people, stewardship is a calling (those in the food service industry or public safety might also consider if they just have a job or if it’s a calling). If you need a job, get one. What the electorate is supposed to be doing is electing someone who cares about, promotes, and puts into practice, individual and social well-being. That’s a big calling and big, needy egos need not apply.

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