When Raging Bulls Become Influencers, America Will be Great Again

As I’m sure you realize, Americans haven’t always gotten along with one another. It’s easy to tell by watching the news or scrolling your social media feed.

Although we think we’ve got big problems getting along today, our challenges pale in comparison to the communication barriers that Americans overcame in the past.

It’s easy to focus on what you don’t like about someone. Although we’re all entitled to an opinion, others can and will use your negativity to exploit you if you’re not careful. Here’s one example of how they do it:

In 1892, coal mining companies sent representatives to Ellis Island to ‘hire’ immigrants as they came off the ships in search of the American Dream.The recruiters were instructed to populate mining towns with workers who spoke different languages or were from countries that had been at war with one another.The reason was so the miners couldn’t unite to fight the company’s crooked ways.

They cheated workers at the scale, paid them in ‘script’ only good at the overpriced company-owned store, and literally held them hostage in their little mountain towns.Some American Dream, huh? Can you imagine being forced into a mine-shaft with angry people you can’t communicate with? How would you feel if the person responsible for pulling you out of that tiny hole in the mountain had family who’d been killed by someone from your country?

Social media makes it easy to say things we wouldn’t ordinarily say.If you know what you’re doing, it’s easy to push someone’s buttons enough to get them to lash out at you. It all boils down to human nature. Ninety-nine percent of the time, people will push back when pushed against.To understand it better, grab a partner (don’t let them know what you’re up to) and check out the ‘hand-push’ lesson:

Tell the person facing you to raise their hand like they’re being sworn in at court.Put your hand up to mirror theirs and begin to push.Without being told to do so, they WILL push back.Even though you controlled where they put their hand in the first place, they’ll still resist your push if you don’t explain what you’re doing.This is basic human nature. We try to hold our position and fight to do so without realizing we’re even doing it.It’s the reason why negative people can get to you on social media. They know it’s in your nature to push back.

You don’t have to look far to find unsocial media these days. Americans rip each other apart on every issue imaginable.When they act this way, I like to call them “Raging Bulls” because of their tendency for self-destructive behavior. They don’t seem to care what they do or who they hurt.They present a huge problem for business and personal account holders alike.Ask a question, one will call you “stupid” and tell you to shut up. Promote a product and a ‘troll’ will claim it’s junk. Believe in something different and they’ll label you an outcast.And the arguing REALLY starts when people share the “news” being pumped out by the media.

Negative interactions happen more often than not, and it doesn’t seem to be getting better.To be honest, we don’t communicate much better than those miners in a dark cave who hated each other and spoke different languages.

It didn’t take the miners long to figure out who the real enemy was. Although the goon managers tried their best to keep the workforce divided, it became obvious that the only way to make progress was to overcome their differences and unite. And that’s what they did. They set their differences aside and focused on what they had in common. They learned from one another. (Many don’t realize this, but we can learn from those we disagree with.) They learned each other’s languages and bonded with their families.

They shared culture and cuisine. They communicated traditions and beliefs. They forgave one another for previous offenses, and they built trust. They chose to focus on what they liked about one another and what they had in common, and the result was enough unity to move them toward resolving their collective problem. And although they were from different races, cultures, religions, and backgrounds, they focused on one common goal and worked together. That’s what made America great in the first place.

Simply put, mass media is in the drama business.The more controversy they stir up, the more profits they make.When people like me call them out for lying, they laugh and claim “It’s what America wants.”And sadly, in many cases they’re right. Some people seem to thrive on drama.But if you aren’t one of them, take comfort in the fact that their reign of terror and confusion is finally coming to an end.There are a growing number of people who are sick and tired of negativity and drama. They’re done being divided, exploited, and lied to.Many reached their threshold during the election (when mass media went way too far) and finally quit the few ‘news’ sources they’d been hanging on to.Since then, some have gone back, only to discover that things haven’t changed at all.

Others have chosen to follow the growing number of influencers who operate their own blogs and podcasts. Many scan the various news sources and read only what they find interesting. They’re scrolling right past ‘click-bait’ and moving on to better things. They now recognize that drama doesn’t serve their best interests.America is waking up. Better social media is trending.

President Trump knows what the media is up to.Whether you agree with him or not, it’s easy to understand why he has taken to Twitter to get his message out to the American People.Let’s pretend for a minute that President Trump really does want to make America great again.(I know, it’s a HUGE stretch of the imagination for many of you.)If you can’t do it, replace the title “President Trump” with “Any American President who holds office in today’s day and age.”Better? Ok.

If an American President knew the media was distorting his message, wouldn’t it be better if he had a direct line to the American People in today’s age of advancing technology?Regardless of your opinion about the message President Trump conveys or the way he conveys it, it’s easy to understand his desire for his message to be heard clearly.

Are you angry that this article isn’t about Robert De Niro’s political views or President Trump’s performance? Good! You’re one of the people I’m trying to reach.I’m trying to turn Raging Bulls into Positive Influencers.

This article is about empowering Americans to set their differences aside so we can focus on solutions to the challenges we collectively face. I genuinely appreciate you taking the time to read it.In closing, here are five reasons why America is on the path to prosperity.