You are the Solution

By Bob Cox

If you are feeling upset, fearful or angry over the results of the presidential election, you’re not alone, especially here in California. The results are in and 8,753,788 Californian’s voted for Clinton (61.7%) while 4,483,810 residents in California voted for Trump (31.6%). Now that the most bitter and viscously contested presidential election in American history is finally behind us, can we all just take a deep breath, relax and move on to something more positive, which by the way does not include loading our shotguns and waiting for the grim reaper to bust through our door!

Whether your candidate won or lost, when it comes to dealing with fear and anger, you really have only two choices: You can either choose to be part of the problem by staying stuck in the past and venting to anyone within screaming distance or you can become part of the solution by facing your worst fears head on and then choosing to make things better.

To truly become the solution, which means creating more peace and joy for yourself and your loved ones, your leap of faith begins by admitting what you’re most upset about. By clearly identifying the scope and nature of your problem with openness and honesty, you will have a much more thorough understanding of the havoc it’s wreaking on your mind, body and soul.

The next step is sharing your concerns with no more than three confidants that you trust and respect. Any more than that means running the risk of overanalyzing a problem. Sharing it with too many people is a bit like eating a slightly toxic soup every day. Each day you eat it, you get a little bit sicker until you’re too sick to think straight and solve the root cause of your illness. Hello grim reaper again. Come in and enjoy our delicious soup, seasoned with arsenic and lace!

Once you’ve gotten feedback from your advisors, come up with the best possible solution and resolve to take immediate action. You’ll know when you have the right answer because you will feel awakened and excited just thinking about it. With the New Year upon us, now is the perfect time to go for it!

On the TV Show CNN Heroes, my wife Diana and I were moved to tears as we saw one powerful story after another about ordinary everyday people doing extraordinary things to make a positive difference in the lives of others. The winner was Jeison Aristizábal, a man from Columbia suffering from cerebral palsy. His doctor once told Aristizábal's mother that he would amount to nothing because of his condition but Aristizábal refused to quit on himself. He is now enrolled in law school and has dedicated his life to helping others reach their full potential by offering young people with disabilities a range of vital free services.

Another CNN Hero was Umra Omar. Omar left a lucrative career in America to help people in need of health care in her native land of Kenya. Her group is called Safari Doctors and they travel to remote villages, bringing free medical services to more than 1,000 people a year. "Being here, being close to home, to be able to fill some of the gaps in accessing health care, it's kind of been an IV drip for life and purpose," Omar said.

I’ve heard a few people say that life is not a spectator sport and that we’re all players in the game of life. That can be a difficult notion for sports fans like me to grapple with. Why, because we spend so time as spectators, watching and rooting for our favorite teams either from the comforts of our man cave or a nearby sports arena. But now is the time for those of us who are unsettled about something profound by breaking out of our comfort zones, taking on that one thing that gnaws at our core and then doing something positive about it. We can be the solution and we will be the solution. Why, because we are not AmeriCANNOT’S. We are AmeriCAN’S,