Following the 2016 election, two friend’s wives embarked on a #stophate t-shirt campaign that would eventually lead to the formation of Love Will Foundation.
It would seem that year unleashed a global can of worms that has since triggered an unending slew of “da fuq is happening?” type unprecedented world events.
Looking back, I think 2017 me believed in her heart and soul that humanity was inherently hateful. I didn’t have much evidence to the contrary given the state of the world and 2017 me responded to said world from that perspective. But in the years following, 2017 me couldn’t sustain hope in a world where she believed that to be true.
Enter 2021 me.
Instead of trying to change the world, I decided that it HAD to be good enough to change myself because, well, there wasn’t anything else I could actually control.
I started listening to people with seemingly opposing beliefs and I began to observe how they lived their lives.
SPOILER ALERT: it was so similar to mine that the divide of my ideals and theirs became smaller.
I absorbed how they interacted with the world and I learned.
I learned that I don’t think humans are inherently hateful; I think we are intrinsically fearful and fear presents itself in all kinds of undesirable ways.
My point is, if this post has ended up in your feed and you’ve read this far, I’d like to extend you an invitation.
To listen.
Observe.
Absorb.
Learn.
Bridge the divide of the “us versus them” differences.
Allow your reflections to bring an enhanced self awareness of your own beliefs, biases, and fears because self awareness is a fundamental instrument in our healing journey.
And healing fuels hope.
And the most effective tool we have against fear, is hope.
And dammit if hope doesn’t ripple out and facilitate the change we crave.
If you like what you read, I wrote a book.
rebelhousewifeblog.com 