I recently wished a random stranger a Merry Christmas and he quickly told me that he wasnt a Christian and didnt celebrate Christmas. I replied, thats a good point but I never asked you what you celebrated nor did I inquire about your faith. I was merely wishing you well in accordance with the upcoming holiday. A simple Thank You would have suffice. Are we at a place where its insulting to wish someone well in accordance with a holiday they may not celebrate? You dont have to be black to appreciate & celebrate Kwanza, nor Jewish to appreciate & celebrate Hannukah, Christian to appreciate & celebrate Christmas or atheist to appreciate & celebrate nothing. Does it really matter in the grand scheme of my day, week, month, year and life? Probably not, but it gave me something to think about. Too many of us are stuck in bubbles, labels and personal ecosystems. This makes sense as its a social component of being human as well as part of the hierarchy of needs we so desire. The bigger lesson, or as TD Jakes calls, the discovery moment is exchanges like the one I had are great opportunities to learn more about another persons culture, faith, belief system and thoughts. My life has exponentially increased from a growing obsession with learning and improvement. When one seeks first to understand, than to be understood, The treasures of life are a natural by-product of that endeavor. (Yes, I quoted Ekhart Tolle!) This isnt an exercise to becoming a jeopardy contestant but merely an attempt to opening my mind to the world immediately around me. Wouldnt the world be a much better place if we took time to learn what others unlike us believe? Wouldnt the world be a better place if instead of instinctively reacting with a politically correct statement, we just say thank you, same to you! I actually, celebrate ______! If youre interested, I can tell you about it!
Posted on: Wed, 17 Dec 2014 16:13:12 +0000
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