I was having a conversation with a friend a few days ago that reminded me that we are living through a time where the world is saying that my truth cannot exist if it doesn’t match yours.
My friend shared that she had been suppressing her truth out of fear of how it would be received. She had been desperately trying to find the politically correct way to communicate her views without offending her audience and it made me sad.
When did we enter a work where unless we align, eye to eye, someone is wrong?
This world feels unfamiliar to me.
It is a world full of righteousness and judgement. A world that encourages me to tell you your truth is not as important as mine.
I want to live in a world where both things can exist without taking away from the other, where two things can be true at the same time. Where my truth is as important as yours and where we end up in conversation instead of conflict, and right now we need more conversation.
Why? Because conversation sparks unity.
Imagine if we could all sit with somebody else’s truth, regardless of how uncomfortable it makes us feel, and instead of reacting, choose to understand where their truth is coming from. If instead of reacting we could find empathy for those we might otherwise consider our enemies.
It feels like there has never been a time like this in history, or perhaps there has and social media is now a highlight reel for it all, regardless we have conflicts raging, and yet we are more divided than ever. Everything is polarised to a level where we tiptoe around each other, walking on eggshells, afraid to offend.
Because if we do we are cancelled and silenced.
But what I am seeing is that those who are unable to hold somebody else's truth are those who are running from their own.
They hide behind righteousness as a way to avoid having to look within. The judgement they outwardly cast is a reflection of the internal judgements they are running from.
They are so focused on the external, the wider lens, that they have forgotten it starts within, it starts with you.
It starts with how you show up in the world and the accountability you are willing to take around your own actions.
How you treat those around you.
The kindness and care that you emulate each and every day.
The choices you make from the moment you wake up.
It starts with choosing not to judge and to instead listen. More often than not when we take the time to listen we begin to realise that whilst we might disagree on some things we tend to agree on more. It helps us understand.
It starts with the words we choose to speak, the thoughts we choose to think, the love we choose to share, and the compassion we choose to show others.
We have been fighting battles for thousands of years and yet nothing changes. We protest, we send out calls to action, we rally, we petition and nothing changes.
Why?
Because we have forgotten that it starts within. It starts with us.
Protest, rally, advocate, use your voice but do not forget to do the same within. Check in. Ask yourself if you are living in alignment. If your daily actions reflect those of your wider views. If you made the life of someone in your immediate area better today by the choices you made.
Power doesn’t come from making somebody else feel small; you hold the power by making them feel heard, for when people are heard they too are willing to listen.
And it is only when people are listening that they are open to change.
Imagine a world where we choose compassion over judgement, curiosity over reactivity, and humanity over power.
With love,
Millee x