Vote For Yourself, No Matter What

It’s election day, here in the Philippines.  Where the next 6 years of our lives will be affected by the people’s vote.  And it was a strong reminder to vote for myself, no matter what.

Vote for yourself?

 

Vote for the right person

In Philippine social media, networks, and especially Facebook (because we are a Facebook-loving country), people kept on campaigning, mudslinging, and trying to convince other people to vote for their candidate.

In a country hurt and scarred by dishonest leaders, corrupt officials, and self-serving politicians, people were looking for change,

or reform,

or a fresh face,

or a local success looking to do the same on a national level,

or a continuation of the progress achieved in the past years.

In this campaign period, people were invested in the changes they were looking forward to happen.  In the progress they want to see, and the life that they could be living, with these changes.

People were pinning their hopes and dreams on their candidates of choice.  Looking for champions to give power to, to create the change that they want to see.

 

But what usually happens?

I read a lot of these posts on social media and on the news.  People saying that if a certain candidate got elected, they would have a better life.  They would do right and make things better for me and my fellow countrymen.

But it isn’t that easy.

People would be happy that their candidate won, but would quickly turn and be frustrated once they don’t see the results they wanted to see right away.  They would start complaining about how the official isn’t doing enough, and that how their lives haven’t really improved.

That their lives haven’t really changed for the better.

That their lives have stayed the same, or gotten worse off.

Where was the big change promised?

All because certain people didn’t do their end.

 

Who has the power?

I’m not saying it’s not important, or it’s useless to vote.  Far from it.  I feel that it’s every person’s civic right and duty to participate and have a say in who leads their nation.

It’s also every person’s right to have a say on who leads themselves.  Not only in an official capacity, but in an everyday, thinking, feeling, breathing, capacity.

Who has the power?

It’s you.

 

What’s in a vote?

I’m not even running, What do you mean to “vote for myself”?

Well, Why do people vote for these candidates?

People vote for these candidates to wield power for them.

To make important decisions for them.

To create positive, sustainable change for them.

People vote for these candidates to represent themselves to others.

To be their face, ambassador, negotiator, with their best interests in mind.

To listen to them, and not just listen well, but to actually do something about it.

People vote for these candidates because they see hope in them.

They place their hopes on them.

Their vote is a vote of support and belief for the candidate.

Essentially, when people vote for a candidate, they are, in essence, giving them power.

Think about all those reasons.  All those hopes and dreams pinned on candidates, to help give you a better life.

Here’s a question: Who should really be doing all of that?  And receiving all of that?

 

Vote for myself.

How would it feel, in an everyday, thinking, feeling, breathing capacity, to vote for yourself?

Let me spell it out for you.

How would you feel, if…

You had the power, because you voted for yourself?

To make important decisions for yourself.

To create positive, sustainable change for yourself

To represent yourself to others.

To be your face, ambassador, negotiator, with your best interests in mind.

To listen to yourself, and not just listen well, but to actually do something about it.

To see hope in yourself.

To place your hopes on yourself.

That your vote is a vote of support and belief for yourself, and your abilities.

That’s what voting for yourself does.  It gives you power.

How would that feel?

I’d bet that would feel pretty good and empowering.

 

Everyday, vote for yourself.

Instead of putting our hopes on others, and wishing that other people would create the change we want to happen, let’s vote for ourselves.

Let’s place our hopes on ourselves, and our ability to create change.

Let’s support ourselves, and give ourselves our full belief.

Let’s give ourselves power, and recognize the power that we always had in the first place.

We become helpless, unable to move forward, and small-thinking, when, even in the small, daily things, we vote for other people, rather than voting for ourselves.

And then we become resentful and angry when other people don’t come through for us.

Don’t always expect them to.

Expect yourself to come through for you.

Vote for yourself.

 

How are the ways you vote for yourself?  Please share in the comments below!