As the U.S. presidential election unfolds, election perception and empowerment become crucial themes to consider. Nonstop media coverage can pull our focus outward, hijacking our attention and distracting us from personal growth. Here, I’ll explore how staying focused on our own “hero’s journey” can help us reclaim empowerment. So even in a high-stakes election season we can stop our perception becoming hijacked.

How Media Shapes Election Perception and can prevent Empowerment

The nonstop coverage of the U.S. election influences perception far beyond U.S. borders. This high-intensity, divisive coverage easily draws us in and can lead us to feel deeply invested in outcomes. While we may think we’re “staying informed,” this focus often diverts us from our own lives. This can limit our personal empowerment, especially by just watching mainstream coverage.

Embracing Your Hero’s Journey

In my work, I emphasize the concept of the hero’s journey, inspired by Joseph Campbell’s A Hero with a Thousand Faces. This journey is about finding personal meaning and empowerment and seeing ourselves as the central figure. However, focusing too much on external figures, like political leaders, can lead us to view them as “saviors,” thus reducing our own role in our lives. You may not think you’re doing this but it’s good to think about and check into. By checking this then by embracing our own hero’s journey we can maintain our empowerment and avoid our perception becoming hijacked.

The Risk of Viewing External Figures as Saviors

When we rely on external figures, we risk our personal empowerment. Following recent events, some public figures have been framed as “saviors” in the media. This can lead us to place responsibility for our well-being on them. Donald Trump has been focussed on as some kind of savior with the failed assassination attempt being seen as some kind of divine intervention (obviously not divine enough to save the guy behind him). Elon Musk has also got much more political and seen as some kind of saviour of free speech. Interestingly when you dig a little deeper you can see how his newly bought X (formally twitter) has an interesting processing of shadow banning people. Same outcome. Kamala Harris is the supposed champion of diversity and womens rights, oh and she’s the one who let millions across the border though.

It’s easy to get hijacked by one side or the other and away from our own heroes journey and our own search for information. Looking outside too much can reduce our empowerment by directing it outward rather than inward. Carl Jung once said ‘those who look outside dream, those who look in awaken’.

I also keep being presented with the words of Socrates who said ‘wisest is one who knows they do not know’. By keeping this in mind we can keep recognising things we know while also continuously looking at what we may not know. This way our views of those outside us can stay as panoramic as possible and not just a focus on one side or the other. We can keep up a constant search for information while maintaining our own sovereignty.

Strengthening Personal Empowerment

Our hero’s journey benefits from grounding practices that keep our focus on personal empowerment. Meditation, self-reflection, and setting personal goals help us reclaim power we may unknowingly give away. Carl Jung emphasized the importance of finding one’s path and becoming your own inner hero, a principle I use with clients. Recognizing our potential for growth keeps us grounded and less impacted by outside events, such as the election.

If you’d like to deepen your hero’s journey and reclaim your own empowerment, I’d be happy to support you. I offer in-person and online sessions designed to help clients focus on their personal growth.

Go here to book in directly or contact me via my details below.

All the best

Phil

Phone: 64 21 058 3234
Email: philip@newbeginningstherapy.co.nz
Website: newbeginningstherapy.co.nz