Donald Trump represents the middle-aged angry white man I so often talk about. Really, I should thank him. He is giving a voice to every man who would like to return to a time when the world was still in order.

His campaign is based on very simple and outdated principles:

• Women: please stand back, look pretty, and shut up.
• White men rule everything.
• Blacks, Asians, Mexicans, and immigrants are the problem.

Who else will join the list of people to blame? Perhaps gay, lesbians, and transgenders are next.

Allow me to be honest here. I know many of my friends, and admittedly myself as well, have had to come to terms with a variety of deeply embedded stereotypes. I don’t say this easily and I am actually concerned that some of my very close friends will be disappointed with me when they read this—but it was just a few years ago that this good catholic girl finally learned to accept gay marriage. I have many friends who are gay and I come from the creative industries, which is overflowing with wonderfully colorful people who make the world prettier and definitely more interesting. Yet, coming to terms with gay marriage was a hurdle for me. I evolved as a person when I changed that opinion.

Much like me, perhaps you have overcome a personal bias or deeply-ingrained stereotype. If you are unsure, just watch the news and test your reactions. It seems these are the very issues that media dwell upon every time we go into an election. Frankly, if I hear the abortion debate being warmed up one more time… If I hear a man wanting to make a choice for me one more time… If I hear a man telling a woman candidate that she is not aging well… If I hear a man coming from immigrant roots going after other immigrants… And…, and…, and.

Rodney King once famously asked, “Can we all get along?”

The evolution I talk about is comparable with Darwin’s theory of natural selection. Only if we continually evolve, change, and adjust our thinking and actions will we be in a forward motion and ultimately be survivors. And by surviving, I mean live and let live. We take personal responsibility for what goes on around us. We respect the rights of every individual to express himself or herself in any way they wish. And we act accountable for this planet through what we eat and what we do.

The social consciousness has shifted in a big way. We want community, we want peace, we want prosperity. And the Millennials want this for every one of us, not just for themselves. If you read the Millennial study you will find that this generation of 80 million individuals is suspicious of us. They believe we are in it only for ourselves.

And Donald Trump is proving to them that it’s true. (Definitely adding Trump to my #asshat list.)

When we fail to evolve, we continually return to the same issues that we know are hot buttons (abortion, gay marriage, immigration, etc.) The unevolved feed the drama and keep the discord alive for one simple purpose—to gain support from others who are also unevolved. As a group, they point fingers instead of taking personal responsibility. After all, it so much easier to blame a skin color, a nationality, or a sexual preference than to actually work at changing ourselves.

Just like Donald Trump and those who support him.

There’s good and bad news about this. First, Trump has added a few new plays to the game of politics. His offensive nature is catching everyone by surprise. Personally, I am thankful for his bluntness because I’d rather find out where a candidate stands now instead of being surprised two years into the presidency when the flip-flopping begins.

Trump forces politicians who are supposed to be our voice to finally fill that role. Speak up, say what you stand for, or be run over. That seems to be his specialty.

Second, we finally get a clear understanding on how much more evolution is necessary for many Americans. We should thank Donald Trump for pointing out where many of us apparently still stand so very, very clearly.

And that brings me to the title of my article. In order for us to be great again, we must change.

In our hearts we know that what Trump is doing is not okay. The things he says and the bridges he burns are not okay. The problem, however, is the people he stands for and speaks for. Trump is just one person representing thousands who are just like him.

For the rest of us, it means we must look this presidential campaign as an opportunity to step out of the deep sleep of not caring enough who sits at the top. Each of us has a voice and it is time for us to speak up for what is right.

In my next article, I am going to explore in greater detail the lessons we can learn from Donald Trump. In the meantime, will you raise your voice and share what you stand for?

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The Lessons We Learn from Donald Trump  Or Donald Trump is Not All Wrong