Wendy Davis Writes Inspiring Letter On Moving Forward In 2017

2017 may be a new year, but we're still recovering from the destruction 2016 wrought, and the disappointment we're feeling for the future. As Wendy Davis puts it in an essay she wrote for Bustle on Wednesday, "I thought this was going to be a year of 'finally’s.'" But just because the outcome the majority of Americans voted for in the 2016 election didn't end up happening doesn't mean we should allow our spirits to be dampened, and the politician explains why. "I could continue to reel in the disappointment that we still have so far to go," she writes, reflecting on Hillary Clinton's loss and the frightening future ahead of America. "But I know the danger in that. Wallowing is a luxury we can’t afford. There’s too much at stake." Instead, Davis urges us to have "an old fashioned mental re-group" so we can figure out how to move forward. First, start small. "I’ll finally clean out all those half-used hair products collecting under my bathroom sink and see if a women’s shelter can use them," she says. Then, she plans to cut out a monthly expense she no longer needs and give that money to charity. Finally, Davis will get back to work through her non-profit, Deeds Not Words, and look for "detours" instead of "road blocks" in an effort to make progress in the next four years. "I hope that, as you read this, you are thinking about a few 'finally’s' of your own," she continues. "I hope that some will center entirely on you — how you can set some goals that will bring you balance and happiness. And I hope you’ll set a few others that will focus on your role in improving the world around you, whether your campus, your community, the country or, even, the world." Through these tiny steps, we turn our words into actions and find that together we make the difference we'd been hoping for all this time. Let's get started.