A Nation in Decline?

The title today reflects last week’s Republican National Convention’s conclusion that Trump is the answer to America’s being in decline. I’m here to assert they are quite wrong. Our nation is not in decline, but like so many eras it is in a period of change and regeneration.

Our time is always that of change. Healthy organizations constantly change. So do healthy societies. Furthermore it is a sign of health that people have the stamina and flexibility to discover fresh things about themselves and circumstances to yet again re-invent themselves and solutions to problems. The crisis or problem is the motivation to take action. That action is done best when it is a positive response to a challenge.

I think this is the way America normally operates. It accepts challenges, adapts to circumstances, and then musters the gumption and creativity to figure out the problem and the solution. Finding the resources and implementing the solution comes next, but in a democracy we need agreement to move forward.

And that’s the rub these days. A lot of people are afraid of change. They sense they might lose something, and put off fixing the change. Put off the repairs long enough and the ‘problem’ morphs into a larger crisis, perhaps even a catastrophe. Democracy is like that; it is messy, unwieldy, and awkward.

That’s where Donald Trump enters the picture. He’s the awkward in this situation, made possible by too many people afraid of themselves and their future. They see ‘boogie men’ in dark places and behind many bushes. They are fearful of walking down the sidewalk in the evening, let alone greeting the next day with a smile and a shrug!

In my America citizens are adaptable and able to deal with setbacks and problems. It is all in a day’s work to be managed and dealt with. Got a problem? Figure it out. Define it well so we know fully what we are dealing with. Then let’s get some good thinkers gathered to invent the solution. Along the way might we be able to improve on the situation overall so the problem doesn’t arise again very soon?

Change. Adapting to change. It is a challenge. It is often awkward. But those challenges build muscle in our bodies and brains that we can use to turn problems into opportunities. At that point we can move on to inventing the future the way we want it to be.

This frame of mind is common in most of our people. Look back at my many posts where people of all sorts deal with issues of all kinds and make the best of it. It is from this melting pot of people and ideas that great striving and accomplishment come. It is the story of America written over and over again each day as our people live life fully through thick and thin to build yet better days.

If some of our neighbors don’t believe in this, they are the poorer for it. We are the strength of our own lives. We together are the strength of our own nation. And working with like nations we are the voice and hope of the world going forward long into the future. This is not a pipe dream. This is what our lives are supposed to be like.

When you wake up in the morning and arise from bed, do you greet the day with a groan or a smile? Are you a positive force at the beginning of your day or a negative one? Do you identify with possibility or fear of what is to come?

That is an elemental issue needing your personal attention. If yours is a negative view you will need assistance to adapt to a healthier outlook. If yours is a positive view you are already well on your way to making a good day great.

We don’t need a Donald Trump to fix anything for us. We are already fixing things. Yes we have problems. And we will always have problems. We are lucky to have the problems. They force us to deal with each day as a challenge. This is what calls forth our energy and creativity. That alone is satisfaction for getting out of bed with a smile and purpose.

America is a very good and healthy nation. It processes change well. Sometimes too many people are manipulated by others to create a climate of fear so they can garner power and wealth at the expense of others. Soon their agenda is learned. Soon others take over and bring us back to reality.

When we are good, we share. When we are fearful we do not share. We defend. We store up things to use in the future. We become stingy. We blame others. We do not smile. We fear others, then each other, then our own families. Turning inward is not the answer. It is the problem.

Turning outward is the answer. Sharing life with others is the answer. Realizing others have strengths and willingness to share gives us community to build more strength and purpose. And that all combines to lead to future.

What a joy to find the purpose and positive in life. The opposite is not.

July 25, 2016