Look past the headlines

“Can you believe he said ______?!?!?!”

This may have been the most common statement made over the course of the past year. Say what you will about President Trump — the man is a master at creating headlines. Over the course of the past year the President has made headline after headline with his tweets and off the cuff remarks. The coverage of these sorts of things has taken over much of the news.

But what hasn’t received much coverage is the fine print. The real actions that have happened in (mostly) quiet back rooms, through legislation and (primarily) Executive Order/Mandate. Changes that in some cases will have a significant impact on the lives of many people, for better or worse.

Regardless, ultimately, of where you stand on the issues, it is always important to look past the headlines, past the distractions, to what’s really happening. And this applies across the board in life — whether in national/state/local level politics; the agreement you sign for “interest free financing”; your cell phone bill; or your employment contract; the important terms are often buried somewhere beneath the splashy headlines. But these are the terms that may actually impact you the most.

So the next time you get focused on the splashy headline, remind yourself to stop and take a look at the fine print; at what’s really happening behind the scenes. Because we know from experience that the fine print is what impacts actual lives.