As the 2016 presidential election reaches its long-awaited end, the citizens of the United States have taken to the feeds of various social media websites to explicitly share their reactions. Whether this election ended in your favor or not, we can all agree that this past year has been an emotional ride. I’ve heard many peers express their disdain for the election, especially if it was their first time participating. To be honest, I couldn’t be more grateful for the track this election took.

This isn’t a matter of political stance, whether democrat or republican. Really, my outlook on this election has more to do with society and everything politics say about us as a single unit, free from political division and opinion. Participating in my first election revived my patriotism and understanding of my contribution to our country as well as pushed me to re-evaluate my personal standards.

We can all agree that nothing beats the feeling of sporting the cheesy “I Voted!” sticker. If you didn’t feel American before your voting souvenir, I’m sure you felt pretty patriotic after. Although the sticker was a major perk of the voting process (enter sarcasm here), the major takeaway was the reminder that I am a part of something bigger. I may be a tiny piece to the whole, but I’m still a piece. One body doesn’t seem substantial in a sea of 300 million until you make a tangible contribution to the cause. My first election served as a reminder that I can make a difference, not just every four years, but every day. I may not receive a super cool sticker in the process, but those are just details.

Something I will reflect on for years to come is social media’s role in this election. Not necessarily the grand scheme of determining who won the election, but our response to the results and image of others because of it. Every election, a large portion of the country must endure loss. Seeing the social media engagements either overly gloating victory or dramatically refusing defeat taught me exactly what I shouldn’t be doing.

The world needs positivity, a virtue I try to instill in my daily life. This election taught me the importance of endurance in the form of positive expression. We can all persevere through the tricky times with the employment of alacrity, and in the case of this election, maturity. The past week has put into perspective the detriment of disrespect and stress on our personal, communal, and national relationships; all which can be mended with a simple inclusion of optimism. Not just casually for a month or two every four years, but as a vigorous mindset making its presence every single day. That is what we need to individually devote energy to, rather than developing our personal political agenda or drafting a snarky Facebook post regarding others’ opinions.

Yes, we have a new president, but that isn’t the only thing we can take away from this election. Personally, the revival of my involvement in the country as well as new social endeavors were the true election results.