The most controversial election in my lifetime is over. As President Obama so accurately pointed out on the day of the election, the sun will shine tomorrow no matter who wins. And he was right. It did.

But what did the election say about us? Why do we get so passionate about two people that we really don’t know? Let’s face it. None of us was exactly neutral in this election. Once we found our favorite candidate, we overlooked their shortcomings and demonized the other candidate for theirs.

So the question is why.

What makes us judge one candidate more harshly than the other?

Why are we inclined to see the one candidate through rose-colored glasses and the other through dark shades?

It boils down to love…because love is the fabric of the universe. It’s core essence of our being that transcends self and connects us with the source of all life. What we crave more than all else is unconditional love – a love that accepts us without condition.

So if one candidate subconsciously awakens the fear that we may not be enough,  we disconnect from the flow of unconditional love and reject them. Our hearts jump from ‘the tree of life’ to ‘the tree of knowledge of good and evil,’ where we now judge the one who makes us insecure. We condemn him or her.

No longer are we able to accurately and impartially discern or receive from them. Our heart cannot perceive what they offer as good, because our subconscious has perceived that they reject us – our beliefs, ideas, thoughts or affiliations.

On the other hand, if the candidate makes us feel secure about our values, beliefs, etc., then we overlook all their flaws – even major ones. We justify their words and actions. They validate and approve of our beliefs, ways, thoughts and affiliations. They make us feel secure and accepted.

Reality may actually be the total opposite, but the rational mind is blinded by the insecurity of the heart. In a strange way, the rational mind is preprogrammed to view facts through a lens based on self-preservation and self-validation rather than truth that sets free.

Let’s take it one step further closer to home. While out for a walk today, my mind was racing and I became preoccupied with some people in my life. They annoyed me, and I began to judge their work ethics, their actions, and their decisions.

Noticing how my demeanor and mood was changing, I stopped myself and considered why I was judging them. Was it really about all the things that I thought they were doing wrong? Or was something else going on?

As I reflected for a moment, I realized that deep down I was interpreting some of their words and actions as a form of rejection. It was not their intention. But nevertheless, it was real to me. They made me feel insecure, like I was not enough, less than what I needed to be to be completely loved and accepted.

When my heart experienced that form of rejection, my mind sought to justify those feelings. Directed by the insecurity entrenched in my subconscious, my rational mind began to look for proof, or arguments, that would make me feel better about myself. Finding fault with them became the logical conclusion. Of course, we know that the real problem was not really them, but it was the rejection that I felt through my interaction with them. I was not completely conscious of the transcending love that flows from the source of all life.

None of us are immune to this inferior consciousness. It affects every area of our lives, including politics. Maybe that’s why voting, in a mysterious way, is often less about the best candidate for the country, and more about who validates my ego, who makes me feel secure about who I am and what I believe.

So what’s the answer to this inferior mindset?

Always stay connected to infinite flow of unconditional love.

For me that happens when I meditate on peace, grace and love. When I connect with the source of all life in my inner most being, I enter into a different realm where I feel secure in the infinite unconditional love that transcends all.

The need to judge another as either good or bad will then cease. It’s there that we can make good decisions, even political ones, because the heart has filtered facts, or issues, through a higher consciousness based on unconditional love and grace.