The more we see each other the more we know ourselves. We are often brought up thinking of ourselves by our national identity, our cultural identity, and our ethnic identity. But science shows us that we are all migrants from central Africa making stops a long the way settling around the world on continents that have drifted apart over thousands of years. The earliest human fossils were found in Omo Kibish in Ethiopia and have been dated as being over 200,000 years old.
That being the case we don't all have to continue drifting apart ourselves and separating ourselves in ways that isolate ourselves and make others seem unworthy, unloved or unwanted.
If we want to build a better world we need to build more understanding between those we think of as being other, different, and often lesser than ourselves. It's vitally important that we learn about each other and learn about all the differences that make the world as magnificently beautiful as it really is.
We can all grow as human beings from being able to travel around the world and experience different cultures and meet people living places we have never experienced. But we don't have to travel around the world to broaden our notions of who we are in the world. We can open our hearts and eyes to people living in our own communities who we might otherwise never talk to or associate with!
People are generally very nice and caring if we give them half a chance. We all value people who are kind and considerate of us and appreciate a kind word or two as we are going about our work day or out and about in town. It doesn't take much to make a real difference in someone's day and even in their life. Just acknowledging people we see, smiling, making small talk and holding a door open for them creates a sense of community that makes all of our lives better.
If we listen to people, really listen without judgement or trying to correct them and make our points heard, we can learn so much about others and about ourselves. Yes most people are walking around with their eyes glued to their cell phones as they walk, even sometimes bumping into things. But we don't have to be one of them. We can put the phone in our pockets for a bit and look around, enjoy the sunshine and scenery and really be present in life as we walk around in it! We can make eye contact with people now and then, nod and smile and from time to time strike up a pleasant conversation even if it's about how they are doing on their latest game session of Pokemon Go! We are not as different as we might think.
The author of the new book Becoming A Love Revolutionary. Changing the world by walking your path of heart, has been kind enough to share two inspirational min-posters for us to share with all of you! Just click on the image below to get started and download them! #Compassion #Mindfulness #Caring
