Politics surround our lives like the Force, weaving through everything we do and binding people to one another. The politics I have chosen to abandon is the "typical" kind you see plastered over social media outlets and controversial topics. Everything we see and experience will fade in time, so why get caught up in today's controversy when there will be a new controversy next week? Becoming too involved with politics takes an emotional and mental toll, so it is time for me to leave the political realm of controversy.

From my perspective, the political spectrum in America is a culmination of rudeness, contempt, lies, lusts for power, choosing sides, and creating labels for citizens to divide amongst themselves. If you are a liberal, you are automatically in opposition to a conservative perspective. If you believe in small government, you are automatically pitted against those who favor big government. If you don't support a certain movement, then that must mean you are against it. Because if you're not with them, you're against them. Right?

As of now, I am done with the labeling, the choosing of sides, and finding faults in everyone and everything that contradict my personal worldview. Who grows from this? Certainly not me. Where is the encouragement and positivity? All I see is condemnation and constant negativity. If there is light in American politics, it needs to come out of the darkness real soon.

My new and improved view on politics: nothing you say, do or profess will matter. What will happen will happen. No changing that. Time is finite and our day will come when we leave this earth. Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump will be long gone, and all this squabbling we see amongst our friends and peers is tantamount to a breath on a mirror. Utterly worthless. I have lost friends and hate has replaced love. It's regretful, and I find despair when I look back on my blind activism in politics.

Laws get created, amended, thrown away, and will continue to do so long after you and I are dead. If you are engaged in harmful politics (wrapping yourself in controversial issues and taking sides) as an excuse to make the future a better place for your children, I'm sorry to say that you have been investing your time and effort into the wrong area. Find ways to build people up, to look at the multitude of things that life has to offer, and to glean life lessons from your experiences so that you can teach them to your children.

Why hurt yourself and others around you by labeling yourself? I can consider myself conservative, but I'm not going to wear it on my sleeve as if I am proud of it. No label is greater than the other so we should stop acting like we are superior than one another. We all strive to find identities. But finding an identity in politics will not make you happier. You will feel like you have a sense of belonging because you have found others that share the same political stance as you do. This can bring temporary social comfort, but it will not bring comfort to your life. In the long run, it is all in vain.

I am a God-fearing man. I believe God has been and will always be in control. Because of this, I have no fear in what is going to happen. Whatever will happen, will happen. I believe the Bible is the source of my identity, and without it, I will be forever lost. Besides the personal relevance, I believe the Bible is the most validated historical document on earth; so I'm going to quote some historically relevant verses.

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. Romans 13

Basically you and I cannot stop what is to come. I believe if God wants a certain person in charge of a country, God will put that person in charge of that country. No amounts of bickering on social media and political activism can stop this.

But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. Titus 3:9

This is my go-to verse regarding politics. I used to revel in controversy and get riled up on the latest political scandal, statistic, phrase, you name it. Dissension was a lure that dragged me and my morals down into depths filled with scorn, opposition, and division. It makes me sick to think that I actually got excited when I saw people fight over laws and politics. What's even worse is that I thought I was fine the way I was. I thought that encouraging political debate was a good thing. How tightly was I wrapped in the folds of brooding mannerisms; swallowing darkness as if it was water. I thank God that I have resurfaced and have been born again with a more enlightening perspective.

I have learned many things on my political journey, and what I have discovered is that I don't need these politics in my life. I need more God, light, and positivity in my life. It's about time I set aside my pride and let the world run its course. Politics runs through every aspect of our lives, but choosing to focus on the negatively-charged controversial topics will ultimately destroy you. It was addicting to choose sides and to label myself when a new controversial political topic arose; but to my disdain it was all for naught. I'm not encouraging you to live out in the woods and hide from laws and general politics. I am encouraging you to realize that there is a grey area in the political landscape with a fine line that you should not cross. I have crossed it many times and it wasn't worth it.

The world is already a negative and dark place. Don't fall victim to the politics of this world as I have done. Dare to change the world. Not by political activism or by labeling yourself. Change the world by seeking out the light in everyone and everything.