You can call me a dreamer, naive or stupid. I don't care. Why? Because I believe in the power of love.
We live in a society full of hatred, discrimination and sheer ignorance. The majority of us are all about our own person gains. Greed destroys us. Hatred knocks us down. Ignorance only keeps the wheel of pain and suffering spinning. How do we expect to survive if all we do is tear each other apart? Why do we keep doing this to ourselves?
Everyone's guilty. You're guilty; I'm guilty. No one's perfect. We all make errors in judgment, but some more than others. Everyone has moments of hatred, discrimination and ignorance. I'll admit that I hate some people, and I regret the hatred, when I should just ignore them. But, I also I don't take that hate to extreme levels, like some people do. I don't take to the streets with my hatred. I don't knock others down because I hate them. I don't let it control my life, my beliefs and my actions.
Everyone remember kindergarten? You know: kindness, compassion and sharing? We were soon after told to throw those out the window, along with caring, in replace of success and being the best, no matter who we step on. Everyone was told to be number one, and if you were anything but, you were worthless.
I hate to be so pessimistic about our world, but the truth is that reality is not straight out of a Disney movie, or anywhere close to one, whether we want it to be or not. So wake up. People are dying, children are crying, and the majority of us just brush it off like it's no big deal. We're killing each other and priding ourselves in it. We're drowning in our own arrogance. Am I the only one who realizes how screwed up that is?
You can look at this in many perspectives, big or small, yet it will always prove true. There is no utopia in the world, but some places are farther from fine then others, even right here in America.
I don't expect everyone to carry the world on their shoulders, but very few people realize the huge impact that very small actions can have. Less is more. Simple gestures go far longer than you would imagine. And while everyone always looks at the bigger picture, they completely forget that little things pile up, and overpower that big picture. Something as small as being bullied in grade school can cause someone problems that they may never overcome. Something as small as being kind to a person sitting alone can save that person from feeling left out and worthless.
And you know what? I actually care about other people, and not just my friends and family. Shocking, isn't it? I'll go out of my way to help a total stranger who I see needs help. I don't push people down; I help them up. And no, I don't expect everyone to be lovey-dovey all the time to everyone they see, but you can't be the exact opposite. Don't hate. Love.
Everything can be broken down to love. Everyone loves something, most people love more than one thing, but we all may not love the right things. Right and wrong can be debated for eternity, so how do we know where to draw the line? First we must realize what's truly important in life: family, friends, happiness, and love. We all have our own interests, which make us all unique. All generalizations are false. Stereotypes hinder originality. We all have differences. Instead of picking each one out and picking them apart, why not find the good in them? We must fight for the right things, or we'll risk losing them.
The meaning of love is like the meaning of life, it is cliché and asked quite too often, but it is important. Love has many definitions, many applications. To some it's overused; to others, not used enough. The basic principle is this: love someone.
Care those around you. Love those near you. Forget our differences and find our common ground. Do onto others as you would have them do onto you. Don't just stand there and do nothing, and don't even dare bring people down, just so you can push yourself up. Everyone can change the world, no matter how big or small, loud or quiet, clever or dull. Within us we have the power to bring this world, and ourselves to a place it's never been before, a place where happiness and love is a fixed state of being. We're all in this together. All you have to do is love, because "when the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace."
So love. Love. Love. Because that's all you need.
Email: rob.schulz@ubspectrum.com
