Agree to Disagree…Finding Common Ground!
We are living in a very different world right now and facing many challenges as we navigate this Covid-19 pandemic. Some would argue what we’re all going thru right now resembles and could have been written as a horror movie. These are unprecedented times and it’s caused a lot of us to question our leaders as well as each other.
Watching the news on one channel could yield very different information from watching the news on another channel. It’s safe to say the contradictory views from our leaders and media have caused a lot of us a good deal of confusion, which has left us with uncertainty and often on edge. It’s been hard seeing the journalistic approach right now from our nation’s mainstream media. One could argue they are attempting to divide and tear us apart.
Social Media Shaming is real
Nowhere is this more prevalent at the moment than on Social Media. It’s brought out the opinions and fear in some people, and the politics and fury in others. What it’s done most though is pit us against each other rather than bring us together. One person argues for continued safety measures and staying at home, while another screams economics and the need to open up our country faster. Arguments ensue with strangers on social media that we don’t know personally and we say things we would likely never do in person. We demean others with our comments just to make ourselves feel better and often walk away more stressed out for the exchange. It makes us question our views. It makes us unhealthy.
What people have forgotten is that our country was built on the foundation of many people with differing views. We’ve forgotten it’s OK to agree to disagree! We’ve forgotten that it’s allowed all of us to feel differently about what we’re all wanting right now in the middle of one of our nation’s most trying times. It’s simply OK to feel the way you do! Remember that the next time you’re having a friendly debate on Social Media with a friend and someone you don’t know comments on the discussion and decides to try and make you feel bad for having your position! It’s OK to agree to disagree! We simply have to remember that as we move forward!
It’s Ok to feel the way you do! Don’t be bullied!
What people are forgetting most right now as they argue their positions is that we’re all in very different places as a result of this pandemic. Some are scared for various reasons such as age, underlying health conditions, and fear of the unknown. Some have worked for many years to build up their small business in their small town. They are scared of seeing all those dreams come crashing down because they are unable to open and are close to being forced to shutter because of economics. Yet another feels this is a conspiracy against our rights and doesn’t believe any of what our nation’s leaders are asking of us. We are seeing protests at our state capitals while at the same time, we are seeing others grieve privately for the loss of a loved one due to this virus. It’s been a very scary time in our lives.
The point is we’re all living in our different headspace on this and we’ve all forgotten at times how to listen and feel empathy for one another. We’ve forgotten that it’s OK to agree to disagree with others, and instead, we choose to attack each other. We need to find empathy again and share it with others once more. We need to ask others to use it with us as well. Don’t ever apologize for how you feel because it comes down to this simple point. Your personal feelings are your own and they are the compass by which you navigate you and your family through this very trying time.
Practicing Empathy is all we need right now
You’re not asking to feel the way you do, you just simply are where you are right now, and others need to accept that of you. If they don’t then it’s their problem, not yours. While you’re asking others to accept who you are in this current season, you also need to practice the same concerning the differing voices of others. We’re all going to get through this and soon enough we’ll all gather again for parties and events. Until that happens though, let’s all practice more empathy for one another and open our ears and listen to others. It’s OK to feel the way we do as long as we allow others to do the same!
#Love #Faith #Hope and #Truth
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