The results of the presidential election are creating trauma, stress and fear among people horrified by the new president-elect. Donald Trump. They also elicit cries of victory for those who supported him. I understand these answers. But I also want everyone to know that there is a vital lesson here. This is a lesson that all Americans can and should learn from Trump’s victory. This is a message echoed by the vice president Kamala HarrisThe concession speech of: Don’t give up.

Trump, for all his faults, has never given in to defeatism. Since his defeat in 2020, he has spent his time fighting in multiple ways to come back strong. And he did it. There is no reason to believe that this possibility only applies to him. If he can do it, so can you.

To be clear, I’m not saying everyone should follow his tactics exactly. But his perseverance and determination paid off.

Harris made it clear that neither she nor her movement have given in to defeatism. “Even if I admit this election, I do not admit the fight that fueled this campaign: the fight for freedom, for opportunity, for fairness and dignity for all,” she said. said. “A fight for the ideals that are at the heart of our nation, the ideals that reflect the best of America. It’s a fight I will never give up…And America, we will never give up fight for our democracy, for the rule of law, for equal justice and for the sacred idea that each of us, no matter who we are or wherever we are, has certain fundamental rights and freedoms that must be respected and defended.

The best expression of this idea came in a phenomenal speech by former President Theodore Roosevelt in 1910. Originally titled Citizenship in a Republic, the address became known as The Man in the Arena. It’s a speech I often reflect on when I need fuel to get back into my entrepreneurial life.

“It is not the critic who counts, nor the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better,” he said. “The credit goes to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marked by dust and sweat and blood; who fights valiantly; who makes mistakes, who fails again and again, for there is no has no effort without error and inadequacy but who strives to accomplish deeds… who, at best, experiences, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at worst, s ‘he fails, fails at least by daring a lot, so that his never be with these cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.

I’m not saying the key is always to “fight,” even with words. It’s about mustering the energy to keep going. I have long seen a tendency for people on both sides to engage in vitriol, fueled primarily by social media. People are no longer engaged; they turn to their devices to express their point of view. I I experience it myself from people who insist that centrists like me should see everything our way.

In the wake of a devastating loss, a mixture of bitterness and numbness can set in for all of us. It’s a natural response. It’s okay to feel these things – briefly. But don’t let them lull you into complacency. There is work to be done. Learn lessons. Change strategy. Stand up for the initiatives that matter to you. Keep going even when you get hammered in the arena.

And most importantly, be willing to work across the aisle on issues where you find common ground, particularly on energy and the environment. I know we can get things done because that’s what I’m doing by bringing people together to work toward an energy transition that moves us forward in the marathon toward net zero emissions, no matter what happens in Washington.

As painful as recent presidential election cycles have been for about half of voters, history shows us that none of these major parties remains in the minority forever. When a party works to understand a changing electorate and move with the times, it becomes more robust and better equipped to win. But ultimately it depends on people, not parties. Working together through the middle, having real conversations and having an open perspective is how we find solutions.

No matter who you are, no matter what field you’re in, learn this from elections: losing doesn’t have to be the end. Get in and stay in the ring, and you just might make a comeback.

Katie Mehnert is CEO of Allied energyan AI-powered talent community for energy.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author.