I was recently reading an article on CNN.com, about a man standing up for how he believed religiously in Hollywood. I was so amazed at the nasty comments to the story. Why can’t we just read something and not become so “personally” charged by it? None of the people commenting saw the ‘bigger” picture here, not his religious beliefs, but the story of a man who stood his ground and succeeded. Can’t we all learn from this lesson?
Why is it that when someone is trying to make a stand for what they believe in, there’s always people pointing out their flaws and focusing on pulling them down? WE KNOW, even the greatest of heroes or inspirational people are not perfect. They have made mistakes in the past, have fallen off course and may still continue–they are human not perfect. Who among us thinks they are so different? Then why do you jump to judgement, when another states their opinion or chooses to live their life differently than you? When have you been guilty of this? Don’t say never.
It has always puzzled me why in politics, religion, race, sex, news, even within families and life most people take an “us against them” attitude, if you don’t agree with someone you push them into the “THEM” category. And then the very same people wonder why we all just can’t get along. Isn’t this a form of being a bully? Maybe a more sophisticated one, but still when you get down to the basics it’s still pushing and shoving another person hoping they fall down, while you laugh.
I understand you need to voice your opinion, to be heard and not be ignored. But in many cases your need to be vocal is your firery desire to change the minds of others. You can’t change others with your nasty and debating comments–would that change your mind? However, you can change how you perceive and interact with others–which in time may actually change the people around you.
I challenge all of you to go for 30 DAYS and not take sides, to listen to the ones you don’t agree with and compassionately try to understand them- instead of trying to CHANGE them (which most of you think you can do) just understand them, you don’t have to agree. Drop your guard and realize we are ALL just trying to live life in the best way we can. And yes, it’s a given that for some their best means good choices, bad choices, mistakes, victories, getting off course or succeeding. What others are doing or not doing doesn’t matter to you– at the end of the day you can only change YOU & lets hope after one week you grow as a person and lose some of that instinct to judge, criticize, be bitter and stop trying to change others.
Let’s try to be better human beings than the ones you see fighting on TV in politics, Hollywood, Online, Reality TV, News Programs and even in your own community & family. If we don’t raise the bar on how we behave and work together, no one will.
Let me know if you are brave enough to take this challenge. I have dared to do this and it is difficult but life changing. I learned more about why I wanted to change the minds of others or why I couldn’t see the other person’s perspective. I learned I was just as much of the problem as they were. Email me about your journey.
Shari
Shari Kingston Adams
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