Vote For Me 🗳️

1. Vote - If you can, exercise your democratic right to have an opinion. Only 30% of the global population live in democracies, meaning they have limited rights to express their opinions and bring about change. Even if you find yourself at a total loss as to who to vote for, scribble on your ballot and take the opportunity given to you to bring about change.

2. Find the best match you can to your views - It’s highly unlikely that any of us are going to find a perfect fit to our political persuasion, and so the best advice I can give is to try and find the best fit for you. Here’s one of the quizzes that could help you make a decision: https://uk.isidewith.com/political-quiz.

3. Stay hopeful - Be careful how much you engage with - the news is designed to mainly give us a negative and troubled view of the world. Engage in a full-fact approach - yes, we still have major issues of global poverty, but many more people have fresh water than in previous decades. We can celebrate change and still hope for more.

4.Stay curious - I think it’s really easy to ‘other’ people that we don’t agree with. I have some strongly held views that I’ve thought long and hard about, and it can be so easy for me to just decide people who don’t think like I do are wrong, or the enemy, even. This is how we end up in factions, achieving very little in the long run. I’m working hard to stay true to my beliefs and values whilst listening and remaining curious about other people

5. Be wise - Sometimes it’s just not worth getting into it. Especially on the internet. Or when passions are high. Just leave it.

In this week’s episode, we dig into all of the above and more, and I shed some light on how I’m learning to listen and do a better job of working out whether it's worth getting into a debate in the first place. I also let you know what would be in my personal manifesto, ranging from punishments for chewing to consequences for leaving stuff on the stairs. And other important stuff. 

Here are some final thoughts in summary before I sign off and let you go and listen to the episode:

Quote: “We are far more united and have far more in common with each other than things that divide us.” ― Jo Cox, MP

Stat: All women got the right to vote in the UK less than 100 years ago.

Question: If you had to write a manifesto for your life, what would be in it?

Love,

Hannah x

P.S. Shout out to my friend Esther Rai, who is standing for councillor in Northfield today. So proud of her for standing up for what she believes in!