Many people are distressed about the results of the election. Waves of fear, anger, and vulnerability have shaken our country. The future of our nation seems uncertain. To millions of Americans, scenarios seem dark. Yet are there other ways to look at the election that yield empowerment, confidence, and relief? Could there be avenues of wellbeing and healing that we do not see because we are focusing on undesirable projected outcomes? What answers would our higher mind yield that the fearful mind is not aware of?

A Course in Miracles has been a great source of solace and empowerment to me. I would like to share ten of the Course’s most relevant lessons to support you to find inner peace and solutions in the face of the election. There is a way out, and it is available to you.

1. There is nothing to fear. Fear is not justified in any form. Every thought, feeling, word, and action springs from either love or fear. There is nothing in between. If you are in fear, you have allowed an illusion to cover the truth. The presence of fear is an invitation to examine the illusions to which you have subscribed and discover the truth they are concealing. In that sense, fear is a guide to come home to love.
    
If you are upset about the election, you imply that this situation is more powerful than universal truth; love is everywhere but here now. The ego always suggests that the current situation is an exception to the presence of good. Yet Spirit recognizes that what is true is always true. Infinite blessings are available right where you stand. Waiting for heaven is not a viable option.

2. I am not a victim of the world I see. You might criticize Donald Trump for claiming he is a victim of external forces, but if you believe you are a victim of Trump, you contribute to that same level of consciousness. No president or government has power over your consciousness or your ability to create the life you would choose. You are absolutely free to live your life independent of any external conditions. There are no external conditions. There are only the projections of your beliefs. Upgrade your beliefs and your world will likewise upgrade.

3. I could see peace instead of this. Perception is not a fact. It is a choice. The world you observe is a result of the filter through which you observe it. At every moment you could choose a perception that yields peace. Do not wait for the world to change for you to feel peaceful. When you do that, you have given away your innate power. You have the power to choose peace no matter what is going on around you. Then you truly become a force for peace in the world.

4. All things are lessons God would have me learn. Every experience is helpful. Seen correctly, every event takes us home. Lessons are never punishments. Real lessons lead only to greater joy and healing. Higher Power wants me to be happy. When I am happy I am fulfilling my true purpose for living.

5.  I do not know what anything is for. I do not perceive my own best interests.
The ego thinks it knows how things should turn out and how we should get what we want. But often what we think we want is not what will serve us best. The Course tells us that sometimes what we believe are our greatest advances are actually deep retreats, and what we believe are bad setbacks pave the way for huge leaps forward. If you prayed for a positive result from the election, could it be possible that it is happening in a form you do not recognize?

6. Trust would settle every problem now. “Trust is the bedrock of the teacher of God’s entire thought system.” How would you be thinking, feeling, and acting differently if you trusted that somehow things would turn out right?  When you trust, you have access to many more options and solutions that you do not see when you are in fear or resistance.

7. The holiest spot on earth is where an ancient hatred has become a present love.
If you are experiencing conflict with a friend or family member over the election results, here is your golden opportunity to join rather than separate. Don’t argue over politics; find ways to affirm connection. You may consider the election result a tragedy, but if you end up fighting with your loved ones, that is a greater tragedy. We never know how long a loved one will be with us. Don’t waste a precious moment of opportunity to enjoy each other. Find common ground and walk with them on it.

8. Life is but a dream. What appears to be the “real world” is but transitory, fleeting, a story we make up and live in. What we call “reality” is more liquid than solid, and can change in a flash.  Just a few weeks before the election, Donald Trump was behind in the polls by 8 percentage points and everyone expected him to lose. Somehow at the last minute things turned around and he won. This “reality” could be reversed just as easily. Nothing in the world is fixed in stone. Everything is a result of consciousness.

9. Keep voting with your consciousness. Political votes are just one form of voting, actually the shallowest. You more powerfully cast your vote with your state of mind, attitude, beliefs, expectations, and connection to Source. If you desire a leader and government guided by healthy, positive values that serve the masses and embrace all people, dwell in that reality and live so it is true in your experience. When the volume of people who truly want a president and government founded in integrity sincerely hold that intention and dwell in that mindset, the universe will deliver it.

10. A happy outcome to all things is sure. While things may seem dark in this moment, they will eventually lead to a positive outcome. How that happens may be beyond our current vision, but it is guaranteed. You have survived 100% of your hardest days, and you will not only survive this phase, but you will rise on it and thrive gloriously.  Consider all the challenges you have faced and grown beyond. This current situation will likewise lead to good. Even if you do not like Trump, he has succeeded in challenging and breaking down a dysfunctional system. He may not be the one to rebuild it successfully, but he has served the role of Shiva, the dissolver of inertia. Now the door is open for constructive change.

Miracles in Paradise
A Course in Miracles retreat in Hawaii
December 5-10, 2016
 
This extraordinary week at one of the most beautiful locations on Earth will help you put the principles of the Course in action in your daily life and create better relationships, richer prosperity, and healing. Whether you are already a Course student or simply curious and open, you will benefit immensely.

Immerse yourself in the energy of top ACIM teachers in addition to Alan, including Judith Whiston, Dr. Jon Mundy, Jennifer Hadley, and Larry Glenz, while connecting with like-minded peers. A rare and inspiring transformational event.  
Just a few spots open at this time.  www.AlanCohen.com

Alan Cohen is the author of The Grace Factor, and the new bestseller A Course in Miracles Made Easy: Mastering the Journey from Fear to Love. For more information about Alan’s programs, free daily inspirational quotes, online courses, and weekly radio show, visit www.AlanCohen.com.