So, the electorate have made their decision. Donald Trump will be the next president, whether you like it or not. The prospect presents lots of questions, such as will he go ahead with some of his more extreme ideas, like building walls to keep foreigners out and expelling the ones who’ve managed to worm their way in. Hmmm …

Will the new president do away with Obamacare, as he hinted (he said he would amend it, or scrap it completely and replace it)? And will this billionaire businessman, with interests all over the globe, really take into account the concerns of the ‘little man’, the average person with little or no money to spare, and dependent largely on his government to support him and his family?

Will the new president be honest and fair?

And speaking of his international business concerns, surely they won’t have any influence on the decisions he makes regarding foreign policy – I can’t imagine he would be swayed by the idea that a country where he has millions invested should be treated any differently because of that. Surely not!

He’s busy right now populating his White House staff with people of a like mind, some of them known to have racist inclinations, and that should probably be a cause for concern, particularly with members of minorities. Apparently a Canadian immigration website crashed recently, as people woke up to the news that America would soon be ruled by someone who has expressed very clearly that he is no respecter of minorities. People were almost literally stampeding to get information about how to get into Canada (not usually up there with Americans’ favourite places to reside or retire to, as I understand it).

I could go on, but you’ve got access to CNN and other news channels, just the same as I have. You know very well that the prospect of Trump being the new president fills many with dread, and affects America’s relations with other countries (and generally not in a good way). So how is all this going to affect you?

How will the new presidency affect you?

Well, the truth is that’s largely up to you. If you want to live in fear, that’s your choice. And it is a choice. I mean, if you genuinely feel that you are in danger because of what might happen over the next few years, then maybe it’s time to do something about it. Leave America, if that’s what it takes to ensure your safety, and the safety of your family. That’s what lots of fearful families did in the 1930s, aware, even if only vaguely, of what might be on the horizon. I’m not saying Trump is another Hitler, just that he has demonstrated some of Hitler’s characteristics in recent months.

The president-in-waiting has employed the same tactics – playing on people’s fear of foreigners, the desperate need to regain full employment, promising to raise the nation back to its former glory, etc, etc. And it worked! Just like in 30’s Germany, the people lapped it up. Back then, they needed a strong leader, after the disaster and humiliation of the Great War. And in the midst of a terrible depression they desperately needed jobs. It was easy to blame all their woes on the Jews, and other minorities, and nobody really took Hitler too seriously when he told them up front that he would deal with these situations, once and for all.

As so often happens, history is repeating itself. God forbid that Trump morphs into a new Hitler, but I can fully understand the fear that some might be feeling right now. If I was living in America I think I might be seriously considering emigration, and I’m sure lots of people are thinking just that way too.

But, assuming you’re staying put … and assuming you’re willing to give the new president a fair crack of the whip to see what he’s made of … then the question remains … how is this going to affect you. It’s a question for each person to deal with individually, obviously, and I have no answer to offer. Except this: you make your own circumstances, to a large extent, so it’s up to you to make the best of things. Always.

Choose to be positive

Set your mind on creating the kind of future you want. Try not to buy into the fear and dread that is starting to hang over the population like a dark cloud. Instead, visualise your own success, and start to work towards it. Make definite plans to improve your situation, in whatever way you think fit. And start to work towards that improved situation, one day at a time. Do whatever works for you to maintain a positive attitude. Use whatever methods you’ve found useful.

Use affirmations … use specific, written goals … use mental focus and regular visualisation sessions … work on things methodically, step by step … use chunking to split huge tasks into much smaller, much more easily do-able tasks … and set about achieving them one at a time. Keep careful records of your plans, and your successes. Go to sleep at night with your mind full of thoughts of future successes, not clouded with worries and fears. Wake up each morning with thoughts of gratitude and expectation, looking forward to success, and genuinely expecting to meet it halfway. In short, make a positive attitude and the attainment of success your priority.

Surround yourself with positivity

If you do this you will surround yourself with positivity and attract the circumstances that will help you attain your goals. Yes, even in the midst of negativity! Success is always a possibility, and it’s up to you to tilt the scales in your favour. While others are moaning and complaining about the new president, be the odd one out, and in so doing you might become a beacon to help show them the way forward. Complaining, whining, moaning, bitching, gossiping, expecting the worst to happen, dreading each new dawn, these are not the ways and means of the successful person.

Does this mean we should just take it lying down? Not at all. Protest, by all means. Write to your representatives in government, write to the press, take to the streets if that’s your thing, get busy making placards and banners. Protest any way you think will be effective. Any legitimate way, that is. Letting yourself get involved in rioting or looting isn’t just against the law, it’s against common sense. You’re not going to improve a bad situation by doing such things. All that will achieve is muddying the waters and making your cause unclear. And, of course, putting yourself at risk of legal action.

By all means, protest!

It’s important to exercise your legitimate right to protest. Just don’t let it get to you. Don’t feel that you’re spending all your time focusing on the negative aspects of the situation. If you’re actively trying to improve it, that’s fine. Just don’t let it become your one thing, your mission in life.

Be the odd one out! Don’t involve yourself in moaning and complaining, when you hear others doing it. Instead, quietly point out the potential for making progress, even if only in some small ways. Let people see that your way is all about positivity and hope. Show them, by your example, that you aren’t going to buy into the negativity that is building up, and which will inevitably spawn more negativity, and still more. Be proud to become a shining example in a temporarily dark world.

Yes, these are dark days, make no mistake. I think most Americans have had time to reflect on the decision that they collectively made, and they aren’t proud of it. But remember, this too shall pass.

Unless he’s voted in for a second term, for some unaccountable reason, Mr. Trump will only be a temporary custodian of the presidency. In a few years he will be consigned to history.

Be positive! Be determined! Set your sights on a bright future!
Expect success! Make it happen!