The past 36 hours have been an emotional rollercoaster for me, as I largely surrendered to a clutch of negative reactions to Donald Trump’s election as US president. Now, thanks to a few words from a friend and the written messages of Starhawk and Jaya & Ananda, I’m beginning to regain a larger perspective. I explained who Starhawk is in my last post. Jaya and Ananda are a couple who sing beautiful kirtan music, music that’s sung and played in contemplation of and love for Spirit as embodied in the Hindu deities — like the Hare Krishna chant. It may sound weird, but I promise, if you try it, you too could end up singing along from the bottom of your heart and dancing in some form or fashion as you listen.

I’ll continue to follow Starhawk’s wise advice as we move forward – and you can look for her online, too, if you’re interested. But today it’s a message from Ananda that I want to share with you, reminding us that Trump’s victory, like everything that happens (or doesn’t) is an opportunity for us to choose what will help or continue to hurt. Titled “Understanding the Spiritual Dimensions of Donald Trump’s Presidency,” it came to me this morning in a group e-mail, and reads as follows:

“As many of us go into a deep struggle to accept the reality of what is taking place in our country and around the world, I (Ananda) was inspired to share this post on Facebook…I think it captures the essence of the practice that’s being asked of us.

To say I am struggling would be an understatement. I have been searching for the light and love amidst unsurmountable darkness, fear, sadness, disappointment, and more. As I lay in bed with this, the light came through…

Donald Trump, somewhere deep in my heart I care for you. You’re reflecting to me so much of what I don’t love about myself and others. You’re giving me this incredible opportunity to grow, to forgive, to accept others where they are on their souls’ journey. And for this reason I’m going to start a relationship of caring for you rather than hating, belittling, shaming, etc.

Donald Trump, I have a lot of fear around what you represent and what your consciousness represents for all sentient beings on this planet. Instead of fueling more of what I don’t want to see and experience in this world, I am going to start the cultivation of beaming you love and compassion. That you may feel our interconnectedness. That you may feel the love I have for this world and all its life forms. That you could be in a place of infinite gratitude and joy from the diversity of God’s creation.

Donald Trump, I pray and will pray that you awaken to such divine revelation each day and choose to do your best in making this world a more loving place, a safer place, a world where we cultivate kindness for each other. Donald Trump, I know deep in my heart that you are a reflection of God’s love, and that I as an evolving soul must learn to love and care for you. So it is, dear soul, that I send this to you and all those searching for the light and love in these times. Find the love beneath all the darkness and let that rise. Om Asato Maa Sad-Gamaya Tamaso Maa Jyotir-Gamaya Mrityor-Maa Amritam Gamaya. Oh, Lord, lead us from the unreal to the real. From the darkness to the light. Lead us from death to eternal life. Namaste, Donald Trump.”

Can you feel how beautiful and right this is? I hope it strikes a chord with you, and that you’ll find it as helpful as I have. Can you see how much better an underpinning this attitude can be to the “political” work we must continue to do than anger, denial, fear, and hatred? It can apply not only to Donald Trump, but to all who voted for him, all who stayed home, to everyone we encounter in the flesh or in our minds, up to and including ourselves – because we’ll never be able to fully embody and practice it in every single moment. It’s a realization and an aspiration that we’ll ebb away or be torn from every day, but it’s a touchstone to return to after each storm passes.

We are one, we’re in this together, we all make it or none of us do…What you think of, say about, or do to another is what you’re thinking of and doing to yourself.

I still don’t like what’s happened. I still wish Hillary had been elected. But the sooner I – we – accept what’s happened, where we actually are, and see the spiritual opportunity in it, the better off we’ll all be.

Namaste! (The spark of the divine in me bows to the spark of the divine in you.)