Let's keep our eyes open

It’s easy to judge and hate what’s different, or what we view as wrong. But it’s not helpful.

Hate begets more hate, violence creates more violence, and the gap widens. There has to be a different answer to the chaos, fear, and separation in today’s world.

“An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind.”

This quote, attributed to Mohandas Gandhi, is even more pertinent today.

With so much uncertainty, upset, fear, and separation today, there has to be something each of us can do to help transform our world.

As I wrote in a past column, mini-civil wars seem to be popping up everywhere, while some warn of a bigger one on the horizon.

We can’t simply rely on the powers that be to make things right; it’s up to each and every one of us.

When we’re in fear, the fight-flight-or-freeze response is activated, and we get hijacked. When this happens, we lose contact with the rational, thinking part of our brains, and people say and do things out of alignment with their true characters.  

I’ll bet everyone of us has experienced a time when this has happened.

It’s very human to add more of what we see and experience in challenging situations; hatred, judgment and cruel words seem to abound these days.

As we’re tempted to add more of what we see, we grow increasingly out of balance.

We’re living in a world of reaction, where many are re-acting, or repeating the same problem-creating behaviours.

It’s easy to react to what’s challenging, but when we re-act, we often repeat the same type of actions. What’s needed is wise response.

I’ve been asking myself, how can I, little old me, even begin to make a positive difference in today’s world? What is mine to do?

It’s easy to pretend what I say and do makes no difference, but I’d be wrong.

While we may not be playing large on the world stage, we can each transform life within our circle of influence.

It’s time for us to rise above the battleground and know each one of us has a role to play in making the world a better place.

Cloistering into our silos of belief isn’t going to help us understand people who hold different beliefs. When we do this, we end up in an echo chamber and we learn nothing new.

I’ve been challenging myself to listen to people who hold different beliefs. I don’t always find it easy, but if we’re going to heal the great divide that seems apparent in the world today, I must.

This is a time in which civil discourse and curious conversation, without needing to be right, would be helpful.

When people feel heard, they can stop yelling, and we can hear what’s really being said. When we listen to understand, instead of to argue, we might find out we have more in common than we thought.

Choosing to not judge, but to stay curious when challenging situations arise, is a powerful practice.

The antidote to hatred and violence isn’t more hatred and violence; it’s choosing a different way. Adding darkness to darkness does nothing to bring the light; only the light can do that.

Treating others as we’d like to be treated is a fundamental principle of every faith tradition. Can you imagine how things would change if we moved these words into action?

When the violence in the world seems to be increasing, let’s choose to add kindness, care, and goodness to life. Small acts of kindness add up and ripple outward.

We can each become the person and the place, where something new and good can happen. It’s time for each of us to be the change we want to see in the world.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.