Something worth noting is happening this year: More people will vote than in any year prior. Almost half the world’s population! That means almost 4 billion people will cast their vote for a candidate or party.

Elections are taking place across the globe; in the U.S., many countries in Africa, the UK, and Europe. In India and Indonesia, approximately 1.7 billion people will cast their votes for a head of state.

A couple of important questions come to mind: Will we see more or less stability in the world? And how will people react to the changes to come in their respective communities and countries?

I think it’s fairly safe to say that given all of the elections occurring this year, potential changes in leadership, and their impact locally, nationally, and globally, we have an extraordinary opportunity, individually, to RISE to a higher trajectory—a more compassionate, kind, and inclusive one. Dr. King referred to it as a Beloved Community, a community that begins with people who are committed to love, kindness, and peace.

We plan for many things: holidays, vacations, going off to college, birthday parties, and special times with friends. How about we make plans to ensure for ourselves a loving and steady course ahead, understanding that significant changes can be coming locally and globally—and possibly not the ones we desire?

That’s elevated consciousness in the works!

First comes heightened self-awareness that you play a significant role. Second, an understanding that your feelings, thoughts, and actions must align with the goal—a loving, kind, and peaceful world. In other words, that kind of world begins with a loving, kind, and peaceful you: your feelings, your thoughts, and actions—moment by moment. And third, knowing that you own your feelings and can shift them with a change of heart.

So my preparation for the U.S. election, along with ensuring I will have an email ballot, as I won’t be in the U.S. in November, is an inward focus. As we RISE to higher ground by heightening our self-awareness and elevating our consciousness, we come to know that the process is the real endgame. In fact, the process creates and secures the endgame. How we go about accomplishing whatever our goals are is what we will create.

The process also includes the recognition that I can do better and that I can be more in this moment. So we get back in the game, set the intention, and do it better in the moments to come or the next time around.

We have about five more months in the U.S. before we elect a new President, Congress, and much of the Senate. As divisive as this election is now, I can’t imagine what will happen during these next several months.

What I can imagine is the part I can play in making it more peaceful and harmonious—for self and others. Of course, I have to start with becoming more peaceful and harmonious myself. I’ll see the world’s events and respond to them through that lens.

Here are 3 steps you can take to ready yourself for the inevitable changes to come:

1) Check in with yourself daily. Notice the feelings you are feeling. If they are stressful feelings like overwhelm, frustration, loneliness, or anxiety—that’s okay. They are a message and an opportunity for growth. Now, you can reflect upon where exactly those feelings are coming from. With that awareness, you can make another choice.

For example, when I feel off, perhaps less compassionate, patient, or triggered, I can look at my daily habits, see what is not supporting me, and change course. Am I setting myself up for a great night’s sleep? Am I on the computer too much or too late in the evening? Did I spend too much time reading the news that day/week?

If I feel lonely or anxious, I often start with a cup of tea and shift to all the things I appreciate in my life. Self-awareness leads to self-reflection and to a solution that fills me up, renews my energy, and gets me back on track and in alignment with what is most important.

2) Take time for yourself for meditation, yoga, or a walk—whatever you like to do that brings peace and inner ease. It’s an essential component of your ability to RISE and consciously create the life you desire most, regardless of what is going on around you and in the world. We must take time to unplug from the external to go internal.

3) Set an intention for the day. Write it down and put it on something you can see often during the day—like your daily checklist. Let your checklist be enveloped by your intention. So, along with the list of things you want to accomplish, when your intention is to do so with kindness and patience, for example, versus the checklist alone, you have a more meaningful and fulfilling day. Everyone wins and that is Beloved Community in the making.

It’s not easy to do this work. In times of darkness and in a world that may seem too chaotic and confusing, each of us has a golden opportunity to bring more light into it. We can be more forgiving. We can consider the other’s past experiences in the equation. We can consciously choose kind and loving responses. And sometimes, we don’t respond at all, knowing that is the best response in the situation.

And please remember, you will not always get it right. Perfection is not the goal. Your progress is the goal! Increasing your self-awareness is the goal! Elevated consciousness is the goal! A meaningful, heart-centered, and fulfilling life is the goal!

So do not be disheartened or discouraged when you or others fall short. Nobody knows where the tipping point is. One day, we will reach it, and pain and suffering will end as we transform ourselves and the world into all we can be.

So, come November 5, 2024, I may not be able to look back and see a flawless self-journey. However, if the election doesn’t bring all the good news I’m hoping for, I will be stronger physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually to deal with it in a way that supports me and my Beloved Community—starting now.