Grant Baldwin’s Blog

Like most Americans, I sat glued to the television and watched the election results as they poured in last night. As I thought through the last several months of campaigning and our democratic electoral process, several things stuck out in my mind. Here are a few of the lessons learned from the election…

1. Your Voice Can Be Heard – One of the biggest reasons we live in the greatest country on earth is that every voice has a chance to be heard. Not just a chance to be heard, but an equal chance. A vote from a janitor matters just as much as the vote from a CEO. Your voice can be heard, but it is up to you an individual to determine if you want it to be heard. What are you speaking up for in the world?

    

2. One Person Can Create A Movement – Regardless of how you voted, we all rallied behind one individual or another. Even though McCain lost, he still received over 55 MILLION votes! That is an incredible amount of support behind one individual. These two men created significant movements within our country, and the fact is, you and I have the same opportunity as they do. What movement will you start?

    

3. We All Want To Be A Part Of Something Bigger Than Ourselves – Last night many people took the victory or defeat of their candidate personally. There were numerous citizens from both parties who volunteered countless hours of their time to be a part of something bigger than themselves. People who participated in the campaign process felt a certain sense of pride in the outcome of this election. What are you a part of that’s bigger than you?

    

4. People Care – While both candidates had distinctly different views on certain issues, no one could deny how much people genuinely and passionately cared about these issues. Too often, people (specifically young people) can be viewed as complacent, indifferent, and apathetic, but last night showed that people do care. What do you care about to the point that you’re going to do something about that issue?

    

5. Ideas Hold Power – As I watched Obama’s acceptance speech last night, I couldn’t help but notice that the chant of “Yes We Can” was more than just a motto. The talk of change was more than just a platform. It was an idea that literally millions of Americans bought into, believed in, and wanted to follow. Ideas are powerful. What ideas do you need to share with others?

    

6. People Can Be Ignorant, Naïve, and Dumb – I loved watching the status updates on Facebook, but I was shocked at some people’s reactions. Sure there were hints of sarcasm from some people, but other people’s comments were filled with disgust, hatred, and plain contempt at the outcome of the election. I’m amazed at how many people think their lives are completely ruined because their guy didn’t win. Some people are just plain idiots. Oh, and in case you’re wondering, I voted for McCain. And I slept just fine last night. What areas of your life are you being closed-minded and ignorant towards?

    

7. Winning And Losing Is Part Of Life – Although this may sound strange, as a parent, I want my daughters to not only lose from time to time, but learn how to lose gracefully and with dignity. In addition, when they win in life, I want them to be humble, classy, and modest. We saw very good examples of both last night. How do you handle winning and losing?

    

8. History Happens – Regardless of the outcome last night, we all could agree on one thing: History was going to happen. Either we were going to have the first female Vice-President or the first black President. Every day history happens. How are you creating history?

Today is a new day, and our country has elected a new leader. Regardless of how you feel about the outcome, you’re an American and you have the responsibility to support our leader. You don’t have to like him. You may not always agree with him. But as an American, you should respect and support our new President.

Today, I listed several lessons we’ve learned from this election. Tomorrow, I will share a list of lessons that we are learning and have yet to learn. Stay tuned.

Now we return to regularly scheduled programming…