Elections have consequences regardless of who wins. The sooner you understand this, the better prepared you will be to protect your family and the livelihood you depend on to care for the ones you love. This election, however, will have dire consequences for decades to come for those who don’t fit a certain cutout of this administration. If you are worried, good—you are paying attention not only to what is going on in the world but also to how the world works. However, don’t let the uncertainty of the future stop you from planning out what you want your life to look like in the next decade.
This administration will do some damage, and that is a given. Depending on your personal life, it may or may not affect you in more than one area. Uncontrollable variables like these times are exactly why I found myself drawn to wealth at a young age—the instability of my home life and the world. I’ve written about that side of my life time and time again, as you can read about when I wrote about how movies like Curly Sue influenced me to build wealth at a young age.
However, this unfortunately is not a movie, and the times we are living in are scary for many—and rightfully so. With that said, I want you to do what you can within your control, and that is to prepare for whatever might come next. One of the best ways to do that is to get your finances in order. Have an emergency fund and as little debt as possible in your name. If you have passports that need to be renewed, renew them. Or, if you have the funds and don’t have a passport, add it to your list of things to do.
This isn’t because there might be a time when you need to flee the country, as much as it is about having the option to get away if things over the next four years get too much for you to handle. I added it to my own list to renew both mine and my teen’s passports just so we have peace of mind. We also have friends in other countries—one of whom left back in 2016 and hasn’t returned to the States except for his son’s wedding.
Wanting to leave and travel is not a show of cowardice; it is about protecting your own health. Being in environments that make you feel unsafe has been shown to affect overall well-being and health.
Furthermore, when it comes to finances, having additional capital can be the difference if you need to leave the state you’re in and move yourself and your loved ones to another state. It can mean the difference in fighting against policies that will be put into place over the next four years. No one knows exactly what those will entail, except that we have an idea. The worst thing you can do is panic and not have a plan because you are too fearful to act in the face of uncertainty.
I am a psychology student who loves the environment of academia, and this outcome has me questioning the future—if what I am doing will be worth it, or if it will even be taken seriously when misinformation and lack of qualifications are being pushed to the forefront. But I do know that if I were to stop everything and drop the ball, I would regret it, because if there is one thing I know, it is that there’s a good chance we will come out of this on the other end. We may be battered and bruised, but we will still be walking.
I’m reminded of the learnings from Holocaust survivors and the words of German Lutheran pastor Martin Niemöller (1892–1984), which have been widely adapted and quoted over the years:
“First they came for the Communists,
And I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Communist.
Then they came for the Socialists,
And I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
And I did not speak out—
Because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews,
And I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—
And there was no one left to speak out for me.”
Here in the States, it seems to be: first, they came for the illegal immigrants, and I did not speak out, because I am not an illegal immigrant. Then they came for the LGBTQ+ community, and I did not speak out, because I am not LGBTQ+. Then they came for the minorities, and I did not speak out, because I am not a minority. Then they came for the intellectuals, and I did not speak out, because I am not an intellectual…
By now, you get the premise of what has been going on during this time. If you are part of any of these groups, it’s important to face the facts head-on and take action for your own life. Don’t go down the rabbit hole of fear, but do not be naive. The next four years will be uncomfortable. The cavalry isn’t coming to save you, and the sooner you accept that these next four years are going to happen, the better off you’ll be to weather the storm.
Don’t paint the worst picture in your head; instead, paint a picture that gives you control in the face of the facts and hardships you will face. Don’t feel guilty for battening down the hatches while you figure out the next steps for yourself and your loved ones. Don’t let people who don’t see the reality of this gaslight you. Protect your space and do what is best for you and the ones in your life. Don’t let the hate that will continue to find comfort over the next four years deter you from taking the steps you need to survive. Most of all, find comfort in the smallest ways possible that add up so significantly, making the next four years as bearable as possible.
The Broke College Student 
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