Dear newly elected officials,
As you assume office tomorrow, you carry the expectations of the people to do as you promised — to uplift lives, to forge bonds, to build community rather than foster enmity, to serve the interests of the city, province and country rather than your own or those of your cohorts, friends and family.
We, the people, elected you into office because we want change. So, change is not just what we hope to get, it’s what we expect.
We want collaboration, not belligerence. We want stability, security, dependability. We want peace, not forever squabbles. We are sick of the power plays, the word wars, the theatrics. Just get on with the work. And deliver the results.
You were elected into office not to bicker but to serve the people.
Everyone starts out with lofty goals, well-meaning plans, good intentions. But along the way, the Devil will appear. God will test you. Life will unravel. Power has a way of corrupting not just one’s mind but also one’s soul.
The Devil will be there at every turn. We, the people, pray you stay steadfast and strong and not succumb.
It will be hard. The forces of evil are stronger than you think. And this is why some will leave because they will not be able to defeat the forces of evil. But some will stay, join and fortify the forces of evil.
Do not allow yourself to be swallowed up by the evil forces in the system. Fight them. Align yourself with the good forces. You will be in the minority. But you will not be forgotten.
Political survival will make you a turncoat. Greed will buy your soul. Pride will cloud your judgement. You will falter and fail. You will stumble. But get up and get back on the right path. No matter how hard it gets, never lose your capacity to know right from wrong.
Don’t be like the pathological liar who eventually loses all sense of reality so that in the end, she loses the capacity to tell the difference between truth and lie. Remember that the most dangerous liar is the one who actually believes in her own lies.
Others say if you can’t beat them, join them. Don’t. Don’t join the throng if they are in the wrong. Continue to do what is right. Fight. But leave if you must. Because every second you stay changes you and your sense of reality.
In another life, I left when I saw wrong being sold as right. It was the best decision I ever made in my life.
Everyone starts out with the best intentions but few will be able to keep their eyes on the goal and stay grounded. After a while, all that power will go to your head. It’s human nature. So, know that and install a fail-safe system to save you and the people from yourself.
Surround yourself with people who will tell you the truth even when you don’t want to hear it. Surround yourself with honest critics, not self-serving sycophants. People who will tell you how things really are, not people who will simply suck up to you and tell you what you want to hear.
Listen to the voices you respect, not just the voices that reverberate. Listen to the voices of dissent, not just the voices in agreement with yours. The heart of democracy lies in the freedom to have all voices heard. Be a leader, not a tyrant.
We, the people, pray that when you assume office tomorrow, you will find the strength to fight evil and the humility to stay grounded in your goals to serve the people. We fervently hope that through time, your accomplishments will not go to your head so that you will start thinking like a god.
We did not go to the polls to elect a god because we already have one. We, the people, went to the polls to elect a public servant. So, be one.