LFG!!!

I started writing this piece about eight times. It was going to be all about election anxiety.
But things kept changing. 

Covid knocked me out, then lovely family vacation (except for the Covid part) where I unwound and felt the UK’s excitement building for a big Labour win. 

I came back to the US where everyone was anxious and depressed about the debate and what it might mean for the election. 

Things went from bad to worse, until they didn’t. 

It’s as if the universe was telling me to wait; to be patient.

And now, at the start of Leo season (Leo sun and rising here), we’ve moved from anxiety and despair to hope and excitement (and record breaking fundraising). Just like that. 

Emotions - and energy - are like that. They move. And they want to move. I find that helpful to remember when I feel stuck. Because here’s the truth: we are never stuck. We are, as a former coach says, always at choice. Nothing is binary. There are always more than two sides. 

The way through stuck-ness is to take action. Action is also the best antidote to anxiety. Feeling stuck, overwhelmed or anxious all involve ruminating about a situation that seems out of your control. And while some things truly are not in our control (like whether the President would decide to stay in the race or not), ruminating about those things absolutely is in our control. 

When you’re stuck thinking about something over and over - whether it's worrying about something you said in a meeting, or whether Donald Trump will win the election - you are probably ruminating. You’ll know if it’s a thought you can’t turn off, or if you keep turning it over and over in your brain. That’s a signal that it’s time to take action.   

Why is action the antidote to anxiety and rumination? 

Because it forces you to focus on your present day actions that then change your future. 

If you are writing postcards to voters, you won’t be doom scrolling. If you go for a run, you will probably be focused on propelling yourself forward and trying to breathe rather than poll numbers. 

By taking action, we remind ourselves that we are not stuck. We have choices. We have agency. 

When we use our agency, we help others remember they have agency too. And using our collective agency wins elections. 

And so, my friends, as an OG member of the K-Hive, please take some action. Today.

LFG!!!