Two Words: Division and Derision

We appear to be living in an ‘Us vs Them’ society

I fear for this country’s future, and it’s not why you might think.

But rather because everywhere you look, there is division:

• Democrats vs Republicans
• Conservatives vs Liberals
• Left vs Right
• Rich vs Poor
• Black vs White
• Christian vs Muslim
• Even Millennials vs Baby Boomers

We are constantly being pitted against each other.

After all, it’s a Hell of a lot easier to blame the other guy for our problems.

When we cast the blame onto another, it absolves us of our guilt.

It’s not my fault. It’s his! There was nothing I could have done. It was out of my control.

But Division is not enough

No. We don’t just cast blame; we poke fun.

The media we ingest on a daily basis is chock-full of it, and we are eating it up!

We have become a country of sore losers and sore winners.

But if we don’t stop this cycle, we’ll all be losers.

So What Can We Do?

This problem just seems so BIG. What can I possibly do to change it?!

It’s this fear that ultimately leads to inaction thus perpetuating the cycle.

We cannot afford to merely be bystanders. Now, I’m not suggesting that everyone needs to become an activist and rally for some sort of social justice or whatever you want to call it.

It starts small; it starts with you.

Find Common Ground

There is no one in this world exactly like you! In this world of nearly 7.5 billion people, there is no one quite like you.

Despite this, you have found people that you admire, adore, and appreciate.

You have looked past what divides you and sets you apart and have found a common ground, a common thread that ties you together.

Why can’t we do more of that? Instead of looking at all the ways that we are different, revel in the multitude of ways that we are the same.

After all, we are all just spirits driving meat covered skeletons made from star dust.

Mindfulness

I truly believe that mindfulness has the power to change the world.

And I’m not the only one:

“If every 8 year old in the world is taught mediation, we will

eliminate violence from the world within one generation.” ~Dalai Lama

If we just take a moment to think, to contemplate the controlled chaos in which we live…

It would change everything.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Mindfulness has changed my life. It has made me a better man, a better husband, a better father, and a better person.

I know that I can’t change the world, but I can change my world.

I can also influence the world in which my daughters are raised.

And if at the end of the day that is all I have done, it will be enough.