For over thirty years, I've worked as a counselor and coach, helping people navigate life's challenges, clarify their values, and become the people they want to be. I've sat with people in crisis, in transition, in moments of profound doubt. I've learned that good people can lose their way—and that finding it again requires both understanding and compassion.
Since 2016, I've watched something troubling unfold. People I know and love—thoughtful, caring individuals—began defending ideas and behaviors they once would have questioned. Families divided. Friendships fractured. And many of us have felt a growing unease, wondering: How did we get here?
I wrote Reversing the Drift because I believe we need a different kind of conversation about what happened.
Not Political. Human.
This isn't a book about politics in the traditional sense. It's not about policy debates or partisan talking points. It's about something more fundamental: how good people gradually drift away from their core values—and how they can find their way back.
The drift didn't happen because people suddenly became cruel or foolish. It happened because the right conditions came together: economic anxiety, cultural disruption, sophisticated manipulation, and our very human need for belonging, certainty, and purpose.
Understanding this—really understanding it—changes everything.
Who This Book Is For
Reversing the Drift is written for two groups of readers:
First, for those who've begun to question. If you supported Trump and are now having doubts—if you're noticing the cognitive dissonance, feeling the exhaustion, wondering how you got here—this book is for you. There's no shame in questioning. It takes courage to admit when our maps no longer match reality.
Second, for those who care about someone caught in the drift. If you're watching a parent, sibling, friend, or partner defend things that once would have horrified them, this book will help you understand what's really happening—and how to engage with compassion rather than contempt.
What You'll Find Inside
Through gentle stories, psychological insight, and practical wisdom, the book explores:
How the drift happened - The conditions and manipulations that pulled people away from their values
Why it's so hard to leave - The psychological mechanisms that keep us defending flawed positions
When reality breaks through - The moments when cognitive dissonance can no longer be ignored
How to return to yourself - Practical steps for reclaiming authentic values and voice
How to engage compassionately - Ways to connect across division without sacrificing integrity
How to rebuild - Creating community based on shared values rather than shared enemies
Each chapter includes reflection questions to help you process your own journey.
No Shame. No Lectures. Just Understanding.
I've spent decades helping people change, and I know this: shame doesn't heal. Contempt doesn't persuade. Understanding does.
The people caught in the drift aren't stupid or evil. They're human. And under the right circumstances, any of us can be influenced. Recognizing this is the first step toward both personal healing and rebuilding our fractured communities.
The Path Forward
If you're questioning, you're not alone. If you're exhausted by division and anger, you're not alone. If you're ready to understand how this happened and find your way back to clarity and integrity, you're not alone.
Reversing the Drift is my attempt to light a path through the confusion—not with easy answers or political prescriptions, but with psychological insight, compassion, and hope.
The book is available now on Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats. I invite you to read it, reflect on it, and share it with anyone who might be ready for this conversation.
Because the drift is reversible. The path back exists. And every person who finds their way home makes it easier for others to follow.
Questions or thoughts? I'd love to hear from you: rayhoskinscoaching@gmail.com