Art by Irvin Tang / Daily Nexus

As we prepare to say goodbye to President Barack Obama, we begin to welcome a new president, one unlike any other. He’s unique, oddly shaped and expressive. Enraged easily, quieted rarely and outspoken constantly. He’s a surprising mix of business entrepreneurship and zero political experience. So mark your calendars for Jan. 20, shut your doors and hide your wives because Donald J.  Trump is stepping into office.

In my opinion, this win was not some sickening twist of fate. It was not because of the third party presidential candidates. It might not even, symbolically at least, really be about Donald Trump. It’s about the systemic sexism and racism still deeply entrenched within the society we live in. It’s that refusal to change, to be accepting of difference that led to Trump’s victory and Clinton’s defeat. We say America is a “diverse melting pot,” but it’s really just simmering, separated ingredients in a pot we still, to this very day, refuse to stir together. The results of this election just proved the United States of America is not ready for that glass ceiling to shatter.

Someone once told me “Organize, don’t mourn.” Don’t mourn the loss of what could have been. Don’t mourn what Hillary Clinton could have done or what she could have symbolized. Instead, prepare for what’s coming: The Trump Presidency.  In order to aid in this transition, I have created a Survival Guide, one I hope will provide you with the necessary tools to minimize this monumental change:

The Trump Presidency Survival Guide:

1. Take a deep breath and move on. Let go of all those pent up negative emotions. It won’t do you any good. Clear your mind and be at peace with the results. If Hillary Clinton can show a brave face, then so can you. You can’t change what happened, so take the loss and as Dory would say, “just keep swimming.” Keep your head up and continue on with your day.  
2. Find the ways that make America great already, not again. This country does not need to be made great again because it already is great. So I urge you to seek out that greatness around every bend, every corner and every step. America’s greatness is all around and we don’t need Donald Trump to tell us any differently.
3. Be the change you want to see. America as a whole isn’t going to automatically regress just because Trump won the presidency. If you want something to change then you have to make it happen. If you want to continue progressing your rights then you will have to be the one to keep pushing them forward, even when Trump tries to push back.
4. Be united rather than divided in this time. Don’t yell at a Trump supporter. Don’t fight with a Clinton supporter. Find a subject both sides can agree upon rather than disagree.
5. It’s only four years, not the end of the world. We have another chance to do it right. Four years will fly by before you know it. Who knows? He might even get impeached soon after he steps into office. Don’t think just because Donald Trump was elected President that the world is doomed. You still woke up this morning and you’re still here. Be in the present; don’t look back at the past. Wait, with your eyes open, for the future to surprise you.
6. Organize, don’t mourn. Don’t grieve too much over the results of this election. Prepare for what’s yet to come: President Donald Trump and the unpredictable future of the United States that will accompany him into office. Trump is a puzzle we have yet to solve, so why not attempt to put the pieces together?

Hopefully, this survival guide will help you cope with the Trump Presidency. It’s a presidency full of confusion and shock. It’s a combination of sweet and sour feelings, blended into a bittersweet aftertaste that some will embrace and others will shirk away from. Donald Trump looks to be the most entertaining and crass president yet. So perhaps consider that fact as a positive rather than a negative. I think the world needs a little bit of laughter right about now, and the president-elect will likely provide a sense of comic relief throughout his term, in addition to his questionable policies.

Thus, I urge you not to give up on this nation. Donald Trump shouldn’t keep us down. We should learn from this outcome, pick ourselves back up and next time we’ll make the right choice. Hillary Clinton’s name is going down in history as we speak; she started a burning flame Trump can’t blow out no matter how hard he tries.

Neda Mazdisnian will always be with her and the Donald Trump Presidency can’t change that.