Someone in Quora asked something to the effect:  How can I be a positive force in the world? I don’t want any hatred in me. These emotions are depleting my energy.

One person had a good partial answer- do what you can do to be a positive force in the world.

I’ve been practicing this. Working on PeopleCount the last four years has been hard. I’ve been failing for 4 years. People have assured me that success is impossible. My wife has pointed out that I should be earning money full time. People with contests for ideas to improve politics have declined my entries. Philanthropists who’d like to see changes in politics have declined to speak with me. Investors who’re interested have said that other startups have made them leery of “the space” and we’ll have to show traction first. The congregation I belong to declined to give me an audience. I’ve even had some depression.

I remember Die Hard. The whole world may be unsupportive, but the right thing to do is clear, even if it’s difficult, even if it’s uncomfortable. Someone’s got to be the hero.

So I imagine someone else were building PeopleCount and were faced with these challenges. What would I want them to do? Or, I imagine this were a movie in which it’s ultimately successful. What should my actions be to be consistent with that ending? And when it’s really bad, I call someone who takes me at my word, who’s willing to hold me accountable for my promises. They remind me who I am, who I create myself to be. So I press on.

Sometimes I hate. The billionaires too busy to listen. The wife too insecure to be supportive. The leaders at the congregation too narrow-minded to see the big picture. I may be enlightened, but I’m still human. Sometimes I just want to quit. At times, depression materialized around me like a fog. The world turned gray. Images of the Middle East arise, littered with dead Syrians and Iraqis. Negativity engulfs me.

Plus, I now keep informed about politics. I’ve seen the bluster of the debates. The Republicans criticizing each other and fighting our president no matter what he does or doesn’t do. Plus all the bluster. And Hillary’s afraid to strive for better solutions and Bernie’s too focused on his message to give a better explanation. Disgust and frustration bubble up.

But as I said, I’m enlightened. I simply recognize the hatred, the sadness, disgust and frustration as simple thoughts and emotions. If I get caught up in their apparent reality, if I buy into them, it fuels and strengthens them. So I let them be like a TV show, a bit of drama and simply notice that they’re there. I accept them as thoughts and emotions, not as indicative of some external reality. I’m a human, I have emotions.

I notice them. I empathize with myself for having them. I allow them to exist as they are, negative emotions in a huge and complex world. I’m a human, not God. The world is beyond my ability to characterize it. While it might be useful for the candidates to judge everything and everyone, it’s not moral, it’s not right, it’s not humble. The world isn’t good or bad, positive or negative. These are just views I make up.

So I let them go, and get real. What future do I want to create? A future where we’re all in constructive communication about what we want for our world. A future where we’re peacefully and prosperously building it. So I return to work on PeopleCount.

Please join me in creating this future. Add your name to our announcement list. Coming this Spring, 2016.