To say that there is much in this world that needs positive change and an adjustment to the way we think, act and believe, would be an understatement. There is much that can be learned from finding a way to love your enemy. More importantly however, while I can do little to change the world, I can change my own way of thinking, acting and believing, and by doing so I might be able to affect those that I interact with. This in turn can cause a change in the world. This country (US) was founded on God and His principles. Not everyone has to believe in God or even a higher power, but I do believe that everyone can agree that we as human beings are capable of acting out of love and compassion. That while yes, human beings can be nothing more than base animals, it is in our capacity to understand our own awareness and comprehend our impact not only on those we interact with on a daily basis, but the world and our environment. If we are not trying to be better than what our baser nature tells us, then what is the point of this life? It is true that we as a species will have differences and strife. It is in nature to not always be at peace, but we are not animals. We are capable of being so much more. I look at the world today and all its problems and it can sometimes be so overwhelming and dismal. The future looks bleak and I can become despondent over it. I don’t have to agree with everyone I meet. You don’t have to agree with me, but we should be capable of listening and if no compromise can be reached, then agreeing to disagree, and not resulting to petty violence or “tantrums”, simply because we don’t like what we hear. The reality of life is that it’s not always pretty. It’s not always sunshine and rainbows. Everyone struggles. NO one is immune to strife. It is what we do in the face of adversity that speaks to our character. TO our integrity. TO our values. TO our ability/capacity for real love. Love is not conditional. It is and should be given freely and without limitations or restrictions. To those on both sides of the fence, the Left, the Right, Liberal, Conservative…to the elite and the poor…to all of you, and you know who you are, that refuse to see past your own arguments…if you want change, BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD. Learn to actually listen. Learn to COMPROMISE. This cancerous view of IDENTITY POLITICS is just that. A cancer that must be excised. When we start to allow ourselves to be divided along racial lines, or class lines, or gender lines, or take your pick of any of the number of ways those in power with mal intent have rather successfully divided us as a nation, then we look at our neighbor with distrust and wariness. This does not foster an environment of real communication or genuine acceptance. I say genuine acceptance, because so often this is misconstrued as not agreeing with another’s OPINIONS, which is definitely NOT the same as being able to accept that PERSON. We as people could all do from taking a closer look not at our neighbors, but at ourselves. And not to the persona you put on everyday, but to the actual soul of who we are as individuals. Too often, I believe, our inability to be at peace with others, is due to our inability to be at peace with ourselves. If we can learn to think before we act or speak, we might be able to learn, not only from ourselves, but others as well. There used to be a saying that I am sure everyone is familiar with and that was, “if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all” and now under the guise of SOCIAL JUSTICE, we are quick to judge, quick to act, and quick to speak maliciously of those we do not agree with. We should remember that when you are too focused on speaking, we are not listening. When you are so caught up with thinking of what it is you NEED to say, you close off your mind and ears to anything anyone else has to say. More often than not when we do this, we miss valuable information, and too often we speak hatefully. And all of this that I address, I only speak to what comes out of your mouth. When you choose to take it further and become violent towards another individual, simply because their opinion is different than yours, you become the tyrant. You become the “evil” you are speaking against. You become intolerant. But there is hope. Will it be easy? No, of course not but then again, nothing that was great or good ever came from the easy path. It is a struggle I live with daily, and that is to be the best I can be and to teach my children to be the best they can be. Sometimes I win and sometimes I lose. But if at the end of the day I can know I did my best to be, act, and speak out of genuine acceptance, with integrity and with real love for myself and others, then I can be at peace. So with this, I put out a challenge out to those of you with real power to affect a change in our schools, our churches, our communities, our cities, our states, our country and eventually the world….BE BETTER. Not as your “ROLE” but as an individual. Before you sit behind that keyboard and type your message of intolerance and hate, whomever it is aimed at, think, "Is this the path I really want to take?" Before you post that tweet, or picture, or facebook post or take your pick of the pethora of ways to “share” our thoughts, consider, "Is this causing real change?", or are you simply “stirring the pot.” I have said it before, as have others before me, be the change you want to see in the world.
