the post-elections post

disclaimer: guys i don't write political posts! i'm not all knowledgeable about politics (i'm an exercise science major) and i hate conflict. but i'm part scottish so i have a bit of a temper and i can get cynical and sarcastic. so i'm sure you can imagine that i was pretty much on a rollercoaster last night. true, i was disappointed by the outcome of the election last night. obviously the candidate i voted for was not elected. but that happens. and that's not what this post is about.

this post is about America.

cute self shot after voting

i lived in a foreign country for almost four months. while i was there i gained such a great appreciation for the freedoms we enjoy in the United States. how lucky we are to be able to vote and chose our leaders! and how lucky we are to have good candidates to vote for- instead of just corrupt candidates. we are blessed to not have policemen holding AK-47's on every corner. we are blessed to be able to influence government and its affects in our life. we are blessed to be able to sleep soundly at night, not worrying if we will be rooted out of our homes the next day. we are blessed because we are not in famine. we are blessed because we can practice our religion without fear of retaliation. we have a voice and we can make changes if we don't like the way things are. we are blessed because our government allows for innovation and creativity.



so we may or may not be happy with who was elected as president. but remember this: " governments were instituted of God for the benefit of man; and that he holds men accountable for their acts in relation to them, both in making laws and administering them, for the good and safety of society" (D&C 134:1).

we still have agency. we can choose whether or not we are going to make the most of our life or if we are going to give others the power to control our happiness. we are the creators of our own destiny. we choose if we are going to be happy or not!

Gandhi said "be the change you wish to see in the world." i still have faith in the American people that we can make changes where changes need to be made. i have faith that there are people who will continue to uphold the Constitution and the principles it was founded on. i know that there will always be people who will give help and support to those less fortunate. i know that there will always be the innovators, the creators, the inventors, the care-givers. these are the people who really make up America. and they have not left. i plan to continue to be the change i want to see in the world. do you?

ok wow, that was deep. it's time to get on with life. let's go think about "more important" things! like. . .
- BYU women's soccer team has a No. 1 seed in the NCAA play offs!
- Thanksgiving is in like 15 days
- i have like four more tests before Thanksgiving break
- i still want to find and marry Rupert Grint (or Tom Felton)
- speaking of Rupert Grint, i'm craving a Harry Potter marathon
- this weekend is the last BYU football home game
- it's supposed to snow this weekend and i'm not ok with that
- i'm getting excited for planning holiday parties and holiday food!
- speaking of food, i'm still craving cafe rio
- ok it's time to get back to mega-studying