One of the terrible tendencies conservatives have as a group is that we’re not satisfied with a single or a double, we want to hit a home run every time we step up to the plate. We don’t think about long-term results. We shrug off small victories. We pay little attention to liberals’ moves decades in the making, then, when we do notice what the Left is doing, we demand it be reversed immediately.
That is not how you win in politics or in life. Everyone thinks that you need to be a Dan Bongino, Ben Shapiro, Thomas Sowell, or Ron DeSantis to make a difference, but that’s not true. You win in politics and in life by building on small, incremental victories. You win by being the type of person you want to see in the world. You win by being the sort of person your family and friends would be proud to be associated with.
Here are twenty ways to be that kind of person.
1) Recognize that police officers are getting a lot of flack they don’t deserve right now and thank them for their service. Have you ever bought a meal for someone in the military? Trust me, you are not going to feel bad about doing it.
2) Help your neighbors. It doesn’t have to be anything big. Maybe you mow their yard once in a blue moon. Take some food to them after someone dies. Let them know where some toilet paper is in stock during a shortage. Have a little polite conversation with them now and again. Wave to them when they drive past. At least do enough to go from being a “neighbor” to a “good neighbor.”
3) If someone asks you to pray for them or a family member, take a moment and do it.
4) Treat people who can’t do anything for you with decency and respect. Be polite. Tip well.
5) Vote with your attention and vote with your wallet. Don’t put money in the pockets of people that hate you for your beliefs, whether it’s NIKE, the NFL, or Disney. Don’t feed people that are jerks or behaving badly with likes, follows and shares.
6) Be competent at what you do. Treat people well. Take care of the people you care about and try to make your community a better place. If people want to know what Christians and conservatives are really like, let them look at you and at least think, “That guy’s not so bad. If we had a lot more people like him around, the world would be a better place.”
7) Whether it’s church, a political rally, or a friend’s BBQ, show up, say “hi,” and shake a few hands. I can’t even tell you how many connections I’ve made and friendships I’ve cemented by meeting people in person instead of it just being an “Oh, I have seen you online” situation.
8) Get comfortable saying “yes sir” and “no ma’am” to service workers, the police, and people that are older than you.
9) Don’t allow yourself to be intimidated into silence when you’re right as so many Americans have over the last few years. Stand up for the truth, speak out even if people don’t like it, and let other people gain courage from your example.
10) Be an organ donor if you can. Every year, good people die and spend their days living in misery because there aren’t enough organs to go around. That might be you, me, or someone we care about one day, but it doesn’t have to be if everyone does their part.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to