People keep telling me they’re worried about November 4, and they cite that seemingly never-ending stream of off-topic distractions in politics.

First of all, it’s going to be a landslide, as long as most registered voters vote.  I predicted that before the primaries were over.

There’s plenty of evidence of this, but one hidden bonus that no one has mentioned yet is the number of Republicans that will simply not vote at all, because they can’t bring themselves to vote for McCain, and also can’t bring themselves to vote for a Democrat.

Another bonus is what I’ve been calling the “New Silent Majority,” a group that supports Senator Obama but may not yet want to admit or trumpet that support publicly.

Beyond this, there is a point in time whereafter none of the details matter, only the tide of humanity. Senator Obama and his campaign know this.  More importantly, you do too.

But if you’re still concerned, then to help you get through all of this and move on into the future, I want you to start thinking about Thanksgiving, as in after Election Day.

Here’s why.

To get to any finish line successfully, it’s essential to think beyond it. Flipping that, if you cannot think beyond your goal, it’s difficult to achieve it.

That’s because if you can’t picture it, then you can’t evoke emotional attachment to the consequences or rewards that come from achieving it.  The rewards come necessarily after the finish line.

The role of emotional attachment with regard to goals is described in the 1937 book about achieving success, Think And Grow Rich.

In that book, which you may know is one of my favorites, author Napoleon Hill lists success principles that work and explains why, writing, “Your subconscious mind recognizes and acts only upon thoughts which have been well-mixed with emotion or feeling.”

In other words, one must be able to feel what that success feels like, before it happens, or else it won’t happen.

This is no different from the visualization techniques used by highly successful athletes like Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods.

To get us past Election Day, therefore, let’s begin thinking and visualizing and feeling past it to, let’s say, Thanksgiving.

To do that, here’s an exercise.  Try it!  It’ll only take a few minutes.

First, play this song below, which is contemplative, triumphant, evocative. As you’re listening, read on to the end.

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So, it’s Thanksgiving!

Where will you celebrate?  At home?  A restaurant?  Make a vacation out of it?  The in-laws again?

You’re there now.

Are you watching the N.F.L.?  They’ve got Tennessee at Detroit, Seattle at Dallas, and Arizona at Philadelphia lined up.

The N.B.A.’s on too.  A doubleheader.  They’ve got Orlando at Washington, followed by New Orleans at Denver cued up. Chris Paul, right?

What’s for dinner?  Turkey?  Ham?  Both?

What about those sides?  Greens?  What kind?  Mashed potatoes?  Yams?  Corn on the cob?  Gravy?  Biscuits? Cornbread? Cranberry sauce?

Look down at your plate.  What’s on it?  Who served you?

Who will you have over?  The kids? Your folks?  In-laws?  Friends?  Neighbors? Co-workers?

What about your elders?  Your grandmother?  Grand-dad?  Great-aunt?  Distant cousins?

Are you trying to help someone?  Maybe you took in someone who’s away from home?  Or assisting at a shelter?

You’re sitting down now.  Who’s next to you on either side?

Who’s saying grace? What are they saying?  What should this year’s grace include?

Some thoughts for those who couldn’t be here, right?

And honor for family history? Your family tree?  Your cultural heritage? Those that paved the way and worked so hard for you to have this? How far back do they go? It’s been a long time, hasn’t it?

Who are those people? Would they be proud? They would be, wouldn’t they? Especially this time, right?

You’re proud of yourself too, aren’t you? You can genuinely say, “Well done.”

What do you appreciate most in your life? In your family?  In your friends? In your home? In your country? In your world?

Are you grateful for your year?

You have some extra smiles this time, don’t you? For your kids? For strangers? For stranger’s kids?

Some extra hugs for your spouse? For everyone? Right?

I think yes.

Now … pause for a moment … how do you feel?  Keep that feeling. It’s gratitude, appreciation, triumph, success, faith, optimism, strength, joy, and more.

Evoke that, let that guide you, whenever you feel anxious, or distracted. About anything. You have so much going for you. So does your country. So does your world. All the possibilities! This is just the beginning!

So … stay focused on that and that alone.

Realize that this is not about the candidates but rather about you.  And realize that you make history now.

(Thank you, and Happy Thanksgiving in advance!)