Mission IV – Write a Love Letter to Your Representative
Do you live in a society with a democratically elected government? If so, say thank you. It’s a privilege that many people do not have.
Do you ever wish your representative (congressperson, president, member of parliament, mayor, etc.) would do things differently or change their stance on an issue you care about? Or have you ever admired a bold stance they’ve taken and hope they’ll keep it up in the face of the opposition?
It’s easy to sit back and complain that these representatives don’t listen to us. But have we taken the time to tell them what we want them to do or what care about? I know I haven’t.
These leaders are open to listening to what we have to say. We can tell them with a personal letter.
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For this mission, write a letter to one of your representatives. Pick an issue you care about. Urge them to take positive action.
If you are able, hand-write the letter. Why? Because hardly anyone else bothers. It shows you care about the issue and greatly increases the chances they’ll receive and read your message. If you’re like me and do lots of editing and rewriting, draft the letter on the computer and hand-write it when you’re finished.
A few notes:
- If you can’t think of or don’t have a government representative to write to, pick another influencer or leader (perhaps of an organization that you’re a part of).
- Connect with their values. When you can touch on what matters to a person, they’re more likely to listen.
- Thank them for what they’re doing right.
- Don’t just argue or complain. Listing reasons why they’re wrong may feel good but it’s not likely to change their mind.
- Show respect and courtesy. No matter how much you disagree with or dislike your representative, they are still human.
- Communicate your enthusiasm. If you’re not excited by what you’re writing about, why should your representative care?
- Offer a clear action for the representative to take. Let them know what policy or bill to support. Ask for a reply to your letter.
Then, come back to this mission page and share your experience. What did you learn from the process? Did your representative reply to you? If so, how?
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PS: Thich Nhat Hanh’s book, Peace is Every Step, inspired this mission.