When Disruption Reveals What We Truly Value

The Disrupter

There’s no denying our current president has disrupted the status quo more than almost any leader in recent U.S. history. We are being shown how easy it is for the system we have to be taken advantage of, corrupted, and abused. We need to see it for ourselves. For some, this shift feels like long-overdue progress. For others, it’s brought deep fear and uncertainty. Often, it’s both at once. Yes, many people are being hurt by these changes—too many.

At the same time, this period is revealing a lot. Many people are now confronting the reality of what they thought they wanted—only to find that the outcomes are far more complicated than expected. Often, the assumption was that consequences would only affect others, not themselves. That’s changing. Many are realizing those effects touch everyone. They didn’t realize how interconnected we all really are. The well-being of one is tied to the well-being of us all.

When Ideology Meets Reality

As it turns out, laws don’t ask who you voted for before they take effect. The impact, once theoretical, is becoming personal. This isn’t about left or right anymore. It’s about whether we’re paying attention to the results—not just the rhetoric.

We’re starting to see what happens when slogans become policies.

• In some states, women who miscarry are being treated like suspects, questioned by police, and denied care due to ambiguities in abortion bans.
• Meanwhile, longtime residents—legal immigrants, green card holders, and even U.S. citizens of foreign descent—are being swept up in deportation efforts under the assumption that their names, accents, or paperwork must mean they don’t belong.
• And tariffs? Once touted as tough-on-trade solutions, they’ve quietly raised the cost of everything from groceries to appliances.
• Farmers, builders, restaurants, and care facilities are scrambling to find workers—fields once quietly sustained by legal and undocumented immigrants—only to watch businesses buckle under labor shortages.

A Possible Renaissance

In the long run, I believe this era could ignite a deeper, global conversation about the kind of world we actually want to live in. And that might be the silver lining: a collective push for something better, more inclusive, more collaborative.

This is a time for us to witness, experience, remember, and LEARN. Of course, disillusionment is real. Many people are exhausted, waiting for governments to act or for other people to change. For those who have long advocated for a more inclusive, collaborative world, this isn’t a time to lose heart—but to keep showing up.

Many Paths To Progress

Some will be called to action in loud, visible ways. Others will work quietly to inspire and influence. Both are valid. Both are needed. Change needs many voices and many approaches, working in tandem. Each of us has a role to play.

For those who have grown tired, let them rest and recharge. Continue to support them so they can bend without breaking.

We can lead by example with peace, inclusiveness, compassion, and collaboration. We can continue to show what these values can create. When we do, those who share our vision will find us. And we’ll build the kind of community—and the kind of world—we’ve been longing for.

Understanding The Cost Of Division

Change will come. But sometimes, people need to fully experience the consequences of the division they once supported to truly understand its cost.