FROM TRIGGERED TO TRANSFORMED: THE UNEXPECTED LESSON DONALD TRUMP GAVE ME

What Donald Trump taught me about myself (and I didn't like it!)

As someone who proudly dabbles in conscious living—finding the valuable lessons in life’s polarities and occasionally sitting in meditation hoping for divine downloads from the universe—I really thought I had it together.

Until Donald Trump.

I was one of the many who had no doubt in my mind that Kamala Harris was going to change the future. That she would lead the next generation with the hopes and dreams of creating an America based on peace, equality, kindness, and strength—an evolution, especially for the women of the world.

So when I heard that Donald Trump had not only won the U.S. election but won by a landslide, I was truly gutted, devastated—and honestly, dumbfounded! And I’m not even American.

I was profoundly shocked that a man with a well-documented history—both in business and with women—a man who had been convicted of crimes, was still being cheered on as though he were the second coming. I mean… do I even need to list the reasons? We all know the story, and honestly, I really don’t want this to be a blog bagging out the man that is Donald Trump.

For weeks, I carried this deep, unsettled feeling. My hopes for a united and progressive America felt obliterated. And let’s be real—what happens in America rarely stays in America. The ripple effects of its politics are a frequency, right? What happens in America often affects the rest of the world, whether we like it or not.

The News Spiral & Social Media Rabbit Hole

What happened next was unexpected—I started watching the news. And for someone who firmly believes we are conditioned to fear, you’d think I’d know better.

But I couldn’t look away.

From the inauguration to the circus of Elon Musk and the demeaning treatment of a man fighting for his country—Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine—I was quickly becoming defiant, bitter, and resentful. The more I watched, the more I found myself getting triggered.

And can you imagine what this did to my social media algorithm?

Triggers everywhere, people! I was becoming so reactive that I couldn’t have conversations without making people visibly uncomfortable. This was quickly becoming a problem, especially for someone who tries to see the positive in every situation. My mood was dense, heavy, and low—completely misaligned with the person I know I truly am.

Why?

Why did this trigger me so much?

The Unexpected Spiritual Smackdown

I was having a conversation with someone who is pro-Trump. Again, my inner pressure pot was starting to steam, my anger and annoyance seeping up, and I was about to pop a gasket when—bam!—an intelligence popped into my head screaming:

Dana, STOP! Your outrage is making you just as polarised as the people you criticise.

Wait, what?!

What did my higher self just say to me?

It said something unsettling. And very quickly smacked me down, making me realise that this wasn’t just about politics. It wasn’t about injustice, corruption, or even the broader vision of a progressive America. And more than anything else, it wasn’t even about Donald Trump.

This was about me.

Because if conscious living has taught me anything, it’s this: When something triggers you this deeply, it’s never really about them.  It’s about you.

Oof. That one hurt.

I soon realised that Donald Trump wasn’t my problem. At least, not in the way my ego wanted him to be. Because if it wasn’t him, honestly, it would be someone else. There will always be figures in this world that shake things up, that bring division, that make us confront our deepest beliefs and biases.

The real work—the uncomfortable, soul-level work—isn’t about trying to erase people like Trump from existence. It’s about asking myself: Why does this bother me so much? What do these reactions say about me?

The Greatest Lesson

Maybe Trump isn’t here to ruin my inner peace. Maybe he’s here to teach me something about it. To stay centred and not become so far left that I end up full of disdain for those on the far right.

Maybe it’s about practising real compassion—not just for the people I agree with, but for those I don’t.

And there it is—the intelligence of realisation, one of those ah-ha moments. Am I really moving from triggered to transformed?

Learning to see that, despite our differences in views and opinions, we’re all human—connected by the same source of energy.

Maybe it’s about realising that change doesn’t come from reacting with the same energy I resist in others.

Or maybe… just maybe… this is my opportunity to step back, zoom out, and see the bigger picture. Because I genuinely believe there is one.

So, while I can’t promise that I won’t feel a tiny bit of nausea the next time Trump dominates the headlines, I can promise this:

I will keep questioning. I will keep learning. I will keep working to find balance in a world that thrives on division.

And most importantly, I’ll keep reminding myself that no one—not even Trump—gets to dictate my peace of mind. That’s mine to own. And I have to keep reminding myself of this very fact.

Even if my third eye does twitch every time his name is mentioned.

Dana x

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