There’s something that’s been weighing on my mind lately, and maybe it’s been on yours too: the election season. With just a month left until the big day, emotions are running high, and everyone seems to have firmly held strong opinions. It feels like every time I open social media, I’m dodging another heated argument between friends, family, or that guy I barely knew in high school.
Now, I get it. We all have our political beliefs, and we’re passionate about them. That’s a good thing! It means we care about our country and want to see it thrive. But sometimes, in all this passion, we can lose sight of something even more important: how we treat the people around us.
Let me share a little thought exercise with you to put things into perspective. Imagine you’re an Eagles fan, like me. (Go Birds!) It’s Sunday, and you’re walking into Lincoln Financial Field, surrounded by 70,000 fans dressed in green. The Eagles win, and the whole place erupts. You’re high-fiving strangers, hugging people you’ve never met, and feeling this incredible sense of community and joy. You’re all in it together, one big, happy Eagles family. You don’t know the political affiliation of any of these strangers, and you don’t really care.
Now, fast forward a week, and imagine those same 70,000 people are back in the stadium, but this time, half of them are wearing red shirts, and the other half are in blue to align with their political affiliation. Instead of cheering for a team, they’re arguing about politics. And on the field, there are speakers on both sides shouting about how terrible the other side is. Do you feel the energy shift? Can you picture the change in the atmosphere?
Instead of high-fives and hugs, there’s tension, anger, and maybe even some shouting. Suddenly, the same group of people who were so united just a week ago feels divided, and the joy is replaced with frustration and hostility. Not exactly the way you want to spend your Sunday, right?
Here’s the thing: we’re all going to have different opinions, and that’s okay. In fact, it’s a beautiful thing! But what’s more important than any political belief is how we treat each other — our relationships, our compassion, our humanity. When we’re caught up in the heat of an argument, it’s easy to forget that the person on the other side of the debate is just that — a person. They have their own experiences, values, and reasons for believing what they do. They have every bit as much right to believe what they do, as you have to your own beliefs.
So, as we head into the final stretch of this election season, I challenge you to think about how you can show compassion, kindness, and respect to those who might not see eye-to-eye with you. Instead of letting politics divide us, let’s make an effort to stay connected, even when it’s tough.
After all, we’re all on the same team at the end of the day. And wouldn’t it be great if we could keep that high-five energy going, no matter which “jersey” we’re wearing?
Here’s to showing a little more love and compassion — because that’s something we can all get behind.
About VALUABLES
Many financial advisors focus on communicating with clients to provide complex analysis of the investment markets and economies. However, we have learned that most clients are not particularly interested in this complex analysis. Most clients hire an advisor for their knowledge of the markets, not for their ability to explain that knowledge. Most want to know what time it is, not how to build a watch.
Experience has taught us that wealthy families care most about using their wealth as a means to a desirable end, which is to achieve a more satisfying, fulfilled and impactful life, and to fulfill their most important Life Values.
VALUABLES is a periodic article series focused on the concepts, systems, and habits which we have observed among families who have been successful in this quest to use their wealth as a tool to live a life of significance. The most successful families share a set of habits, systems, and insights which enable them to use their wealth as a tool to fulfill their Values and what is most important to them.
We named this article series VALUABLES, because it provides an exploration of those habits, systems, and insights. We hope it will help you to consider your assets and possessions which are most valuable to you, and how you can use your financial wealth to enhance and cultivate your true “Valuables”.
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