Just thinking

Goodness gracious gosh.

It’s nothing new for ‘me to be open about my own life and thoughts to a point; it is different for me to engage in controversial topics that I’ve brought up.

The thing is…these things are no longer up for controversy in my mind. It is high time we have hard, honest and open discussions to better understand and love each other.

White privilege, white fragility, police brutality, broken systems…so much change to be implemented!

I never anticipate changing anyone’s mind through social media. It’s not my job to do that anyway. I greatly cherish when we can consider another perspective and perhaps open our world wider to see more than the life we live.

I have a billion questions running through my mind. I am deeply searching my own heart, my beliefs and my actions. I do not feel guilty being white skinned anymore than anyone else should feel bad for their own skin color. I do feel a call to action and away from apathy. No person should be treated differently based on race, socioeconomic status, gender, sexuality, etc.

I am one infallible human who very much wants to know better, do better and be better. I am prayerful that we are all looking inside ourselves right now and seeing how we can make improvements that translate to loving others well.

Let’s have open hearts, critical thinking and respect for one another. Ask yourself, “Is what I choose to share designed to further my personal political agenda, be disrespectful to others and carried out without thought to how my words are affecting others?”  Maybe reflect on these before sharing.  Then, by all means…share!

What’s with asking others to unfriend or unfollow on social media if  different beliefs are at play?  If a person’s words are too much, how about quietly doing what you need to do without announcing it to the world?

Value one another more than that…diversity is where it’s at!

Happy Thursday. xo

A learning curve

It feels very freeing to say that I do not have respect for President Trump’s character, evidenced by his behavior and actions. I am regretful that I have danced around those words for so long.

Am I still a law abiding, respectful, compassionate and loving citizen. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

I am frustrated every single time I mention Trump, I am met with how I ‘don’t see the good’. I never said he has not done some beneficial things. His character representation makes me sick to my stomach and afraid for what our children are seeing as a demonstration of leadership. I guess it would be more than fair for me to ask why the Trump defenders can’t see the damage.

Do I believe God can even work all things for good in the current state of the world? I 100% believe that, though it is beyond my scope of understanding.

I would love to invite my world to think on these….

Can we be less about ‘you are right and I am wrong’?

What would happen if we moved away from the ‘yes,but’s’ and toward ‘let me truly hear and consider your experiences and heart”?

When disdain for someone’s actions is stated, would it be possible to consider the other lens for a moment before the original statement is personalized and personal attacks or defenses are made? The pause is a powerful thing.

Instead of ‘those Republicans’, ‘the Dems’, ‘the Liberals’ or a certain flavor of religion, sexuality, etc; could we see each other as human beings who all have the same basic needs? Humanity, safety, love and compassion.

Disliking someone’s actions and behaviors doesn’t make me less of a person. It means I have a brain for logic, a heart for feeling and a voice for using.

Instead of saying, ‘I don’t see color’, and softening my voice so I am not seen as a contrarian or fearful that I’m not knowledgeable enough to use my voice, I am working on a change.

I do see color because we ALL see color. What I do with that is the important thing. Let’s have tough conversations, we can do hard things.

Softening my voice for the sake of another’s comfort when it comes to matters that matter is a disservice to myself and to others. Change the world, one heart at a time, right? Starting with my own.

Silent because I don’t know enough? BS. I’m well educated, intelligent and yearning to learn and see so that I can do better.

I believe strongly that diversity is a beautiful gift. I also intensely believe that unity can be found among diversity; just as peace can be found among chaos.