You decide what the future looks like

I’m sure by now most of you know that I started my professional career working in Washington, DC and for the State of New Jersey. I was responsible for policies, and since my job was heavily impacted by politics it was important for me to learn the ropes.

So, with that said, watching this Presidential campaign has been both fascinating and frightening to me. Even more so, I believe it has parallels to the transformation in health care.

Let me explain…

Forget whether you affiliate yourself with the Democrat or Republican Party. It is very clear that most people paying attention to the debates and the campaigns for our next President are angry.

Why do I say this?

On both sides of the aisle, many of the policies that the candidates promise and put forward are impractical and can not be accomplished.

No, we aren't going to pay for everyone's college education — unless we raise taxes to equal 50% of what people earn. No, Mexico is not going to pay for a wall to stop immigrants from coming into our country. The Affordable Care Act may be modified; 10 million Americans including 1 million children now have insurance and it will not be repealed.

When I watch these debates and the political commercials I can’t help but wonder, “Why are candidates saying these things and why do people believing in them?”

Rapid changes in our economy and advancements in technology make it difficult for us to protect the “American Dream.” We can’t all be Mark Zuckerberg, creating Facebooks and making more money than we know what to do with. The truth is the state of our country is a harsh reality.

It’s not all bad and scary. I’ll be the first to tell you that some major improvements have been made in the last few years. The economy has turned around and unemployment is down to 5%. These are great! But, people are not better off now than they were in 2007 when it comes to their income.

We are all uncertain about our safety and our future employment. Our parents now know that we will not have the same opportunities as them in regards to financial security and independence. This can cause huge unrest and disillusionment.

So what is the answer?

The answer is that we hold the answer within our own world. It is up to us to continue to do our best to find hope and joy in our daily life.

Knowing that change is coming doesn't make it any easier to accept the change. We need to do for each other what we do for our families — find the joy and refrain from getting too far ahead of ourselves.

We need to come together as a community where all people find the chance to succeed, where teamwork is encouraged and excellence follows.

What are your thoughts about this topic? Are you feeling the pressure and struggle? What are the ways you are coping?