No matter who you are or how you're voting, I hope that when you cast your ballot this November, you'll take just a moment to think about this great privilege freedom brings.

The everyday news of the world is often so overwhelming that it numbs us to other people's pain. (Though the picture of the 5-year-old Syrian boy, bloodied, stunned, and in shock—and all the suffering he represents—still haunts me.)

What can we do? How do we make a difference? Vote!

That's our real voice and our real choice in matters that seem beyond our control. We get to put into positions of power people who are aligned with the way we want the world to operate.

Though our dissonance and discord can be disheartening, the right to disagree is actually one we should cherish. It sets us apart from so many other societies around the world—as does the right to vote our feelings, our beliefs, our hopes!

The people we choose to represent and lead us reflect our collective consciousness. We get the leadership we deserve, based on what the majority of us agree to. Casting a ballot isn't just something you do for yourself—it's for our collective future.

So whatever you do, please don't stay home on Election Day. Whether your polling place is a school, a fire station, or a post office, whether you pull a lever, press a button, or check a box with a pencil, do the patriotic thing, the American thing. Choose wisely. Choose.

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