The news has been focusing on the massive division in our country, and rightfully so, given the fact that our nation has been in such turmoil as of late. But if we hope to heal, we must begin moving the opposite direction. Yes there’s a time to grieve, but we must move towards healing. No, I am not trying to be insensitive to the feelings of many who feel their voices are not being heard, nor am I trying to be insensitive to the families who have lost their loved ones, but I will always fight for love and peace between all people.
I am grieved that spouses and children have lost their loved ones in situations that could have probably been handled differently, both recently and in the past, but we must not allow our nation to be divided even more. And if you think this means that I am saying to turn a cheek at injustice, think again. But, even more than letting the justice system take its course and giving people a fair trial, there’s a much larger issue at play here.
While many think that the fix to everything is placing more boundaries on people’s actions, that doesn’t get to the root of the issue. The root of today’s issues is the heart of people, because actions always follows one’s heart. Fear, hate, revenge, murder, division — these are all issues of the heart — none of which that can be solved by implementing more boundaries. The answer to every issue is love.
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
You may be wondering why I am writing content on the national news right now, but it’s necessary that I at least talk about it. Why? Because the issues of today has everything to do with relationships, leadership, and communication — three areas that I study constantly and am very passionate about. And even though this article doesn’t necessarily directly apply to business, I can see that our nation is at a very important turning point, so I feel that I must say something. This being said, I have always believed that the opposite of love is not hate, but indifference, and to say nothing would be just that — indifference.
So instead of separating people even more, we should be seeking to understand one another. We need more people to lead our nation to unity, not division. We need more people to have discussions that move us forward, rather than assuming that things will just get better on their own. And we need relationships between people to be restored, not to be damaged even further.
May we become better as a nation, may we build bridges to one another instead of building walls, may we lead with love in one hand and justice in the other, may we have open dialogue about topics that truly matter with open minds and hearts, may we seek to understand others, may we push for good change, may we build trust, and may we begin moving forward. Empathy in the midst of turmoil is a powerful gift that will never go unnoticed.
Below is a speech given by Robert F. Kennedy almost 50 years ago, which I believe applies even now. Hopefully we can all learn from our mistakes and grow together as one nation. Let us lead with love for one another.
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