Four years ago on Election Day, I was in London on business for a new job. I stayed up late, watching the election coverage in the U.S., forcing myself to go to bed in the wee hours of GMT. But I passed a restless night and heard the news in the morning. In a foreign country half the world away from my family and friends, I had no-one close to share my feelings with. I felt trapped in the thrall of a portentously maleficent and unbounded force I was powerless against. It was a dark and lonely time and place. I felt an overwhelming numbness and shed tears not only for myself, my family, and my friends, but also for my community and my nation.
In the days after my return home, I felt eyes on me. I sensed malice from some, but sympathy and protectiveness from others. I was thankful for the kindness of the latter, but it would have been far preferable not to be the center of such attention.
What has changed for me in these four years that have elapsed since the last Election Day?
• Tonight, and in the days to come before we learn the results of the election, I will be with my family and able to reach true friends. In these four years, I have gained the wisdom of not agreeing to disagree when it comes to believing in the worth and dignity of all human beings, regardless of their color, gender, sexual orientation, means, etc. I have Marie Kondo’ed my life of the clutter of those who believe otherwise.
• Hopelessness and desperation had deeply shadowed the first three of these four intervening years. But now I am increasingly choosing every day to hold hope over fear and vision over cynicism in my heart and mind as the bows from which to drive forth the arrows of the words and actions in my life. Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.
• I have realized that big, righteous dreams are worth fighting for. A life without conviction is a life of existential impotence. Transformative change is what is required to meet the challenge and urgency of our times, not small, incremental progress with the consistency and nourishment value of thin porridge. We reached the moon not by aiming for the highest mountain, but by aiming for the stars.
• Heroes are great, but we should not count on them to save us. We should not rely on specific individuals to do the right thing. Some are principled and courageous, but many are weak and fallible and take the path of least resistance. It is critical to have robust systems of checks and balances in place to support democracy and justice.
• A broad safety net of systematic, structural change >> relying on the noblesse oblige and philanthropy of the rich and powerful.
Most importantly, I now have a more patient — but far more hopeful — sense of hope. Tonight, and in the days to come, I will remember that no matter what happens, big dreams never die, and the fight goes on.
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Dr. Nancy Lai is a business strategist and technologist with a Ph.D. in Particle Physics. She has brokered dozens of deals and transactions and worked with thousands of people across companies of all sizes and industries. Along the journey, she’s gathered many data points on workplace behavior and business dynamics & motivations. She enjoys reflecting on why things are and how things work, from the micro to the macro, from inter-human psychology in business/work to systemic social change. Her shorter observations are at https://twitter.com/gr82live.
