We all have times when we feel powerless, when things seem so out of our control that we feel we can't effect any change, no matter what we do.

This feeling can manifest under varying circumstances; because of the illness of a loved one, a relationship gone askew, a poorly managed project at work, a child difficult to raise, rising inflation, the list is seemingly endless. Politics is one of the major areas where people feel powerless.

It's easy to think that your vote won't make a difference, that the world of politics is such an entrenched, dysfunctional system that one little old vote won't make a difference.

This thinking couldn't be more wrong! The thing is, when we feel powerless, we feel stress. And, when we feel stressed we feel anxious. With anxiety comes Brain Spam. The average human brain has more than 60,000 unwanted thoughts that flow through it per day, and most of these thoughts are negative. It's easy to believe the world behind our eyes is the truth. Anxiety looks for content and can latch onto a piece of brain spam like a stealth missile and create a story around a negative thought that seems rock solid.

So, thoughts like "My vote won't make a difference" or "All politicians are self-serving" are brain spam borne out of feelings of powerlessness. All votes make a difference; sometimes the difference is in our favor, and sometimes it isn't. When we exercise our power to choose what is most important to us at any given point in time, we are reminding ourselves that our thoughts, opinions and feelings matter. We are allowing ourselves to step into our personal power, a great antidote to feeling powerless. And, if that isn't an awesome thing, then I don't know what is.

So, transform your brain spam from "My vote won't make a difference" to something like "My vote counts, and I am glad to have my say." Taking charge of your thoughts and actions has the potential to transform that which drives you nuts. If everybody exercised their right to choice, we'd have a bright shiny world where everyone's voice mattered.

Chris Wucherer, a life coach, business coach and psychotherapist, has 28 years of experience helping people create saner lives. She uses a wide array of practical tools, tips and a deep visioning process to help people move forward. Chris firmly believes and practices the principles that saner living makes for great living. She is the Saner Living Guru. Chris writes a blog and has a website. You can reach her at 734-669-7202 or by email.

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