When is the last time you gave someone a 20 second hug without pulling away?
Our common Human struggle is to look for reasons to be accepted instead of divided. Which has been made vastly more apparent (and difficult), over the past 18 months. The reality of today is that we have been faced with situations we never thought would have happened. Creating more division now, then we have ever seen in our life time.
-Being told who we can, and can't see.
-Knowing that we have loved ones in the Hospital without the support of family.
-Instructed to keep our face covered to be safe.
-Losing our jobs, careers, and small businesses.
-Seeing a shortage of supplies we used to have readily available.
-No longer able to travel without catching criticism.
-Watching our children, and peers alike develop social anxiety issues.
-Marriages and relationships torn apart due to a simple belief...
Shall I go on??
When I was younger and still into the party scene, the only conversation party foul was when someone brought up topics surrounding Religion or Politics. It seems to me that today, that dreaded "C" word is the NEW conversation foul in any situation. I never thought I would see the day where the entire world was going to be divided into 2 primary categories, butting heads in almost every conversation to be had.
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I USED to be firmly in one of those 2 belief categories. When everything first started happening at the end of 2019, I had VERY strong, one sided views. I suppose I could have just brushed it off and blamed my stubbornness.
But that wouldn't be Me actually "owning my shit," now would it?
Heaven forbid someone thought different than me, right? How dare they challenge MY beliefs? I've done the research! Read some articles on my feed. Shared a meme or two. Watched all the conspiracy videos sent to me. Listened to what other people with similar opinions to mine think. Kept up to date on the news....
Sound convincing? Yeah.... I didn't think so.
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The fact of the matter is that THIS is what most of us are doing. Whatever belief we have, we are looking for information, or, what most of us claim to be "facts" in support to the current belief we hold.
Read that again, and let it sink in...
We are looking for information to support "OUR BELIEFS."
Is a belief a fact?? Abso-FUCKING-lutely NOT!!!
"The ONLY way a fact is a fact, is if everyone agrees on it. "
Think about this for a minute. A long minute. How many beliefs do you hold that everyone agrees with? Probably not many.
This is because a belief is just that - a belief. Just because WE think something is true does not mean it is actually true.
How many self limiting beliefs about yourself have you changed over your life? Do you still think the same way about yourself as you did in high school? What about when you thought you could never lose that weight? Step out of that toxic relationship? Get that new job position? Start that business? Ask that special someone out?
Or are you telling me that you still have an imaginary friend named Bonkers who brings your toys to life at night?
Well look at you go! Changing your beliefs 'n shit.
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At the beginning I asked "when is the last time you gave someone a 20 second hug without pulling away?"
The point of this question was to make you think. Are you simply craving human interaction? Intimacy? Are you holding onto what the past was? Do you feel that the freedom of choice has been taken away from you?
Are you now finding your frustrations and insecurities are being projected onto others?
Let me ask you this, Can you actually own that last statement?
Welcome aboard!
EVERYONE currently is feeling this way. The difference is HOW each of us perceive and define those questions is 100% unique to the individual. This makes no one "right," or "wrong." This means that we are human.
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Here is a hard to swallow pill. So if you don't want any feelings potentially hurt, I suggest you stop reading now.
Oh yeah, of course this is only MY belief.
If at any point in time you are allowing what's going on around you to dictate HOW you choose to treat others poorly, YOU are the problem.
Yeah, current world events suck right now. However, this does not give anyone the permission to treat others as poorly as I have recently witnessed simply based on the fact that opposite beliefs are held.
Want to be a part of the solution? To be the change? Stop waving your opinion around in everyones face. Whats the old saying? OH YEAH! "Opinions are like assholes. Just because everyone has one, doesn't mean we want to smell them all."
It's simple:
-Listen to understand, not simply respond.
-Stop projecting your shit onto others.
- Spread love, not hate.
-Be truly Empathetic. We have absolutely no idea about what is actually going on in anyone else's life.
We can't forget about the 2 golden rules;
"Treat others the way you want to be treated."
"Be the change you want to see in the world."
Check yourself. All of our lives are in a current state of turmoil. Whether we want to admit it to ourselves or not. Instead of pushing others away, bring them closer. Hug your Spouse/Partner/Family/Friends for 20 uninterrupted seconds today. You may just find out how much you both really need it.
- Coach Wolverine