Navigating the political landscape right now feels like driving down the Kennedy Expressway blindfolded during rush hour. It can be too much to handle. So we’d understand if you just wanted to order some pizza and forget about it all. But instead of turning a blind eye, perhaps you could look at politics from another angle. Here’s our take.

In our view, politics is personal. From the person who grabs a slice after a long day at work (maybe they’re in a startup industry, opened up by changing laws) to the postal worker delivering our mail, politics and the policy it creates plays a role in our everyday lives.

The school buses and potholes, mailboxes and utility poles, are all affected by politics. It’s everywhere. Politics is what you eat, what you wear, and especially who you talk to. Each decision you make and each personal encounter changes the world around you forever. Does that feel like a lot of pressure? Good. That’s a whole lotta motivation to be your truest self in everything that you do. To shape the world around you into a better fit.

So be you, and don’t be shy about your beliefs, even if you’re the only one you know that thinks the way you do. Choose an issue that’s affecting you and your community. Something tangible. Then talk about that issue as often and as passionately as you can. Each time you do, one of three things will happen. Each of them presents an opportunity.

1. You find someone that agrees with you. Immediate benefits include feelings of relief, connection, and purpose. It could be a brief encounter. It could be the beginning of a movement to end war and poverty. You won’t know until you talk to that someone.

2. You find someone that disagrees with you. This scenario doesn’t come with those warm feelings right away, but it does present opportunities to learn and to teach. You might have the same goals and desires, but different ideas on how to get there. Talk it out. You may enlighten each other to new possibilities, new solutions. At worst, you have broadened each other’s perspectives on the world. A great example is the Pizza and Pensions Summit held at Dimo’s a few years back. Those who attended were politically involved, so they chose to spend their afternoon discussing the ins and outs of pensions (Sounds scary, right?) They knew there would be disagreement along the way, but they brought their personal knowledge and attitudes to the table. Thus, the conditions were ripe for lively and productive conversation as well as personal growth.

3. You find someone that doesn’t seem to give a flying %@$#! Oh, the pains of apathy! Is it frustrating to realize something so important to you hasn’t even crossed the mind of another individual? Of course! But that’s just it. They’re not you. Here’s your chance to let them know it matters to you, it’s personal to you. Plant some seeds, water them, and see what happens. Maybe those seeds will sprout and that person will engage with this issue, forming their own opinion based on experience and research, rather than apathy. Maybe not, but at least the next time someone approaches them about this topic, they’ll know someone else cares. Another round of seeds will be planted with the potential to blossom. Even if they don’t realize it, they’ll be more involved than before you talked to ‘em!

So order that pizza, we think you deserve it (here’s our menu *wink* *wink* *nudge* *nudge*), but also think of something in your life that matters, something worth discussing. Find a friend to talk about it with over slices. Or come see us in person, we’d love to swap opinions and ideas with you. We don’t bite. Ok we bite, but only pizza, not people. We can’t wait to hear from you!