My favorite bumper sticker
There are a lot of people giving their opinions about the civil unrest across America – and the world right now. People are protesting and taking to the streets to show their exhaustion with police brutality and the disproportionate violence against people of color. I’m tired of it too. I see the problem as more than racism or not enough accountability of police forces. The problem is systemic prejudice that many people don’t understand is inside themselves. Most people focus on the differences between people and not the commonalities. Think about everyone being equal members of One Human Family! If we could feel more connected to each other wouldn’t we treat everyone the way we want to be treated?
Prejudice comes from the word pre-judge and is defined as “a bias for or against something formed without sufficient basis. Irrational intolerance of or hostility toward members of a certain race, religion, or group.”
It’s time to self-reflect and admit where we all have prejudices. Some were learned from subconscious messaging as children. We’re all influenced by what is portrayed on television. Other ideas may be based on fear. Things that are misunderstood can be scary.
I’ll admit that I have a bias against giant, mega-churches who care more about money than saving souls; I pre-judge white, older men because I think they will patronize and objectify me; and, ashamedly, in the back of my mind I feel superior to homeless people. I bet there are many more biases that I’m not even aware of.
I hope we all can challenge our thoughts to be more open to each other. The image above is the only bumper sticker on my car. “ALL PEOPLE ARE CREATED EQUAL MEMBERS OF ONE HUMAN FAMILY” – Do you believe it?
ALL people? Everyone in EVERY country. Americans, Haitians, rich, poor, black, brown, white, young, old, male, female, Christian, or Buddhist. These get tougher – persons who are pedophiles or terrorists. Can you imagine them as equal members of society?
Notice what feelings you have when you read the list of differences above and try to think of everyone being the same and having the same rights. Where does your mind want to argue?
Individually we are all different and unique. Besides what we are born with (gender & skin color); we have different beliefs, religions, language, traditions. But in the eyes of God and on a molecular level we are ALL the SAME. We all deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.
I propose that we all feel equal when we are very young – and then our perceptions change as we are taught to observe and categorize the differences between us. There’s a normal human tendency to want to group things together. It’s harmful when we accept a bias that is only an opinion, whether it’s from our parents or the media.
Just high heels – but do you have a judgement?
Just a guy on a corner, right?
Trying to rise above the negativity, I have been doing Deepak Chopra’s 21 day meditation challenge and the subject today “coincidentally” was Unity. You can find more info. here: https://chopra.com/articles/free-guided-meditation-by-deepak-chopra
While tapping into my higher state of mind – where differences don’t matter – I can feel a connection with everything in the universe. The mundane problems of the world just don’t have to get in the way of my joy.
I confess that I frequently see the glass as half-full and struggle to keep the stress from getting to me. I’m working on it. Meditation has been helping me. I haven’t achieved full meditation mind yet, but can get to a calm place where my mind is peaceful.
It has also helped me to see the big picture in life by reading the book, “Dying to Be Me” by Anita Moorhani about her comeback from terminal cancer and her Near Death Experience. She went to the other side of this reality and remembered her purpose and that we all deserve happiness. Our souls don’t have different colors!
Notice and question your opinions about race, wealth, age – any differences between people. I challenge you. If we can unite instead of divide, find the similarities instead of the differences – we can all help to heal our own corner of the world.
JUST. BE. NICE. TO. OTHER. HUMANS. Please
Comments