Listen While You Read: You ARE the Voice Within Podcast 🎧
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🎙️ You ARE the Voice Within – Episode Link
For those who’ve followed my journey, you may know I rarely speak about politics. But with the collective grief many of us are feeling, I felt called to offer a hopeful message—a shift in perspective. I honor everyone’s process through these emotions, and when you feel ready, this article is here for you.
Today is the day after the election, and after hearing the results, I feel a deep and heavy weight. I have to admit, I wasn’t feeling the stress before—at least not to the same degree as many. People who interacted with me yesterday were probably surprised by that and maybe even a little annoyed. But now, knowing the outcome, I feel the burden of understanding how much work lies ahead for those of us awake to this call. However, even with the collective rage, grief, and disappointment many of us feel, I want to offer a shift in perspective that is both empowering and somewhat more neutral.
I’m sure you all remember the first time this happened in 2016. I know I do. Before then, I purposely kept my head in the sand and only felt compelled to vote for the first time after that election. At the time, I was in the military, receiving all the news and intel I needed from work, which kept me more than well-enough informed. I’m not one to stay up late and join in the collective nail-biting—I’m not a fan of watching sports games, violent movies, or the impending doom—or delight—of America. In fact, the first time I formally learned about politics was in the Korean language while I was attending tech school in 2013.
And yet, with every election, there’s always a sense of division—some portion of the country inevitably feels lost or at odds with one another. While it’s true my beliefs definitely lean a certain way (which I think is obvious), I’ve held back from sharing this belief: sometimes, the things that look outwardly bad may actually be doing some unintended good.
If you’ve watched American Horror Story, you might remember a scene where the female protagonist is swept up in a sense of shared grief after the results of a recent election. Later, a trippy little witch eagerly awakens her with the insight that our “cheeto-flavored president” had done something significant: he had tapped into and awakened female rage. In the witch’s divine knowing, she understood that this was all part of a grand scheme of the universe.
Just as the show reflects actual events, since that election in 2016, this collective grief and rage has inspired us to regroup, reclaim our voices, and speak up on a scale not seen or felt since we first won the right to vote. The most empowering example of this call to action is the Women’s March of 2017—the largest single-day protest in U.S. history. It wasn’t just a reaction; it was a massive shift in energy that sparked action and empowerment, especially among women and marginalized voices. This movement has built momentum ever since, showing us that even the most unexpected forces can wake us up and remind us of our power.
History has shown us, time and again, that humanity moves through cycles of destruction and rebirth. Consider the early 20th century, when the planet emerged from the devastation of World War I. Out of that darkness came the Roaring Twenties—a time of liberation, social change, and the rise of women’s voices as they finally gained the right to vote. Pain gave birth to transformation, sweeping the world forward.
Or think of the Scientific Revolution, when society began shedding outdated beliefs and viewing the world through a new lens. These discoveries, like stars piercing the night, illuminated paths previously unseen, replacing superstition with the light of knowledge and a deeper connection to truth.
Closer to our time, the Civil Rights Movement demonstrated the power of collective will to confront deeply ingrained injustice. Suffering rose to the surface, allowing people to face it, challenge it, and lay the foundation for a more just society. It showed us that true change requires both the fire of resistance and the courage to rebuild.
Now, in this modern “dark night of the soul,” it may feel as if the weight of the world is too heavy. But these cycles of darkness serve a purpose. They pull our shadows into the light, revealing broken systems, outdated beliefs, and old wounds in need of healing. They allow us to sift through, purge, and release what no longer serves us—just as the phoenix rises from the ashes. It may feel like a setback, as if we’re moving backward, but we’re really pinpointing, redefining, and revealing all that needs to be healed.
This is the path to the “new earth” we envision. With each wave of change, we’re reminded that the universe has its own course, a trajectory beyond what we can see day by day. Let’s trust that things are unfolding for a reason. Like every healing journey, the path isn’t always straightforward but often moves in a spiral—reminding us of the past so we can piece together the present, allowing our future path to unfold.
And while I am with you in wanting a woman leader, because I understand the unique gifts we bring to these positions, I am not in a rush. I know each party is bound to falter in its own way within the current systems in place. The cut is still fresh, and we are all processing this grief in our own ways, but I don’t want you to lose hope. Together, we have the power to rebuild with intention and to create a world aligned with our highest ideals. Tomorrow, we will lift our heads a little higher, pick our torches back up, and continue marching forward on our path.
Thank you for listening to the call.