“All of us share this world for but a brief moment in time. The question is whether we spend that time focused on what pushes us apart, or whether we commit ourselves to an effort -- a sustained effort -- to find common ground, to focus on the future we seek for our children, and to respect the dignity of all human beings.” (Barack Obama)
I prefer not to think about the people my temper (and my
mouth) have caused an irrevocable severing of our friendship. Of course, for my
mental stability, there have been those people I have had to decide to
purposely part ways with because they were a negative drain to me emotionally.
Whether it right or wrong, once I disconnect from someone. Chances are I will
never reconnect with them (unless there is some reason I have to).
Through the years, I learned that you have to agree to
disagree with a friend (or family member). God made us all the unique
individuals that we are. There’s nothing wrong with that. How boring would life
be if we all viewed it the same way? The variety in the heavenly Father’s world
makes life quite interesting (and unique).
I have discovered several things that have helped me to come
to common ground with those people that are different from me. If I am talking
with someone that has an over religious point of view that differs from mine, I
try to find one thing that we both agree on, and communicate about that, which
could lead to further things the two of us have in common. As for someone’s
opinion I disagree with, I do my best to either find something about them that
interests me, or something that we would both enjoy talking about. This could
lead to further discussion topics.
Colin Kaepernick gives this wisdom about finding
common ground with someone: “If we reach common ground, and can understand what everybody's
going through, we can really affect change. And make sure that everyone is
treated equally and has the same freedom.” Empathizing
with someone’s situation communicates that you care about them. Make a
connection with someone (if it’s possible).
You can never know how your simple act of generosity can speak volumes
in finding common grounds with someone who needs it more than you could
imagine. [i]
No comments:
Post a Comment