One of my favorite songs is “One World,” by Celtic Woman.” The gist of the song is that we are all human and share the same dreams and needs. We all live on the Earth and want to feel like part of something greater than ourselves. I believe this is the foundation of living with compassion. The second level of compassion is honoring, respecting, and celebrating our differences. It is is rejoicing in the differences that abounds and seeing a world beyond black and white thinking. There is a lot more grey in the world. There are a lot more colors and shades. All colors are what makes life happen. It is why we are here in the first place; to taste and experience all that life has to offer and to be there for each other in our shared experiences.
I think we live in a time when it is critical that we celebrate and embrace our differences, Don’t get me wrong - our commonalities bring us together. They are the binds that connect us and make us feel less isolated and afraid. Of course, this is important and true. But. I’m concerned that sometimes we seek commonalities at the expense of our differences. We do this out of fear. At the core level, we are afraid that we might not relate to someone who is different. At worst, this leads to ignorance, hatred, mistrust, and fragmentation. If we would just shift our perspective a little, we’d see that life would be too boring if we were all the same.
Would you believe that there was once a time where I was not the liberal, open, butterfly that I am today?! In fact I remember agreeing or feeling indifferent at gay slurs when I heard them [I humbly apologize to my gay friends and all the LGBTQ-folk out there]. It took me having a major life transition (beyond the scope of this article to divulge) and going through my own sexual transformation to embrace the alternative sexuality community, as well as a liberal-minded perspective. You know what I discovered? I discovered the most down-to-earth, friendly people on Earth. I discovered true friends and mentors. I discovered that the world [even my small little slice] was a whole lot bigger than I ever realized. And, I discovered that I could celebrate my own uniqueness and alternative vibe.
I would never have opened my eyes, altered my perspective, or moved beyond my comfort zone without a leap of faith. I would never have seen such riches, wonders, and stars without taking risks. Lastly, I walked each new step with a sense of curiosity and compassion. I was compassionate for myself and for the people around me. I put my judgments aside for a moment. I suspended my intolerance of difference. Instead, I observed with open eyes and an open heart. As a result, my whole vision of myself and the world around me changed - almost overnight. I took accountability for my thoughts, actions, inactions, and prejudices. I aspired to own my negative thoughts and rise above them; to be more affirming, loving, and compassionate.
I Challenge You to Move Beyond Your Comfort Zone & Embrace Differences with Curiosity & Compassion!
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