Nothing divides a country like an election. In the past months, we have been inundated with accusations, hateful comments, competition, and extreme focus on our differences. Even as I was watching the polling results, the news was informing us all of the racial, educational, and socio-economic differences in voters.
Now, don’t get me wrong- I LOVE a good competition. And competition isn’t all bad. It can motivate us to push ourselves, to grow, to become better than we thought we could be. But competition can also push us beyond that point to a place of severe judgment, bitterness, hate, and division.
In our society of instant gratification, savvy marketing, and trained elitism, it is easy to fall into a mindset of focusing on lack, differences, and what we don’t have rather than what we do.
So, how do we prevent our crossing that line? At the end of the day, no matter who wins or loses, we must remember that we are ultimately all the same. We are all made of the same energy. We are all living in the same world. And for the most part, I believe that we all want to feel safe, happy, healthy, and for our country and our world to be at peace.
Jill Bolte Taylor, who has experience teaching brain anatomy at Harvard Medical School, points out in her outstanding book My Stroke of Insight, how very much alike we all are: “As members of the same human species, you and I share all but 0.01% (1/100th of 1%) of identical genetic sequences. So, biologically, as a species, you and I are virtually identical to one another at the level of our genes (99.99%).”
If this is true, why is it that we focus on the 0.01% within us that makes us different? That very narrow focus also does not always tend to be to celebrate our differences and unique contributions. Out of fear, many times, our focus on the differences among us only serves to increase fear, hate, and separation.
In the aftermath of a very emotional campaign and election, I think that in order to move forward in a healthy way, we MUST bring our focus back to the fact that we are all on one team. We are all in this together. We all want our country to be great and we all want to live happy, fulfilling lives. We may disagree on things, but we cannot let the differences we have divide our country and pit us against each other.
Taylor also tells us that “generally, most of us are compassionate with those that we see as our equals. The less attached we are to our ego’s inclination for superiority, the more generous of spirit we can be with others.” It seems to me that being 99.99% genetically identical to others makes us pretty much equals. Let’s use that biological fact to help us approach each other with love and compassion. Let’s work together so that we all succeed.
Let’s be the team that we can be. We are all the same. We are all in this together. We are all love. This week, try to remember that. Your actions will lead the way for others to do the same.
I will be right beside you, friend.
Talk again soon,
k
Your best yet Kelly!!