The last few months have been unexpectedly insane, to say the least. In the midst of living in panic and uncertainty during this pandemic followed by a series of unfortunate events fueled by hate and racism, it hurts my heart to experience a continuous thread of backlash, bullying, and hatred. Now, more than ever is the time when we need to come together to bring peace and comfort to others and restore faith in humanity. In order to advocate change, we must be willing to initiate change within ourselves.
With that being said, I want to challenge all my readers to practice acts of kindness, gratitude, and courage daily, so that together, we can create a movement that will incite positivity and create a progressive impact in society given the situation that we are currently living in. I invite you to lead by example, and with our example, let us inspire others to do the same and thus create an endless chain of actions.
Kindness and Respect You may be familiar with the old saying “ You can’t understand another person’s experience until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes.” We don’t know what people go through, therefore we should be slow to judge. No matter what religion, skin color, or sexual preference we are all from the same race – the human race. As such, we should speak with kindness and treat one another with respect. Let your actions be driven by compassion and words fueled by love, because believe it or not, kindness is contagious.
Gratitude If you have a roof over your head, food on your table, and something to look forward to every day, know that you are beyond blessed. Let us not take the little things in life for granted. Your trips and gatherings can wait. They won’t make an impact on your future, but who you spend your time with during these days will. I challenge you to keep a gratitude journal and write down 10 things you are grateful for every day. Today, I am thankful for having the opportunity to share this with you. I am grateful to be able to have a voice that inspires others.
Courage Dare to be different and dare to be bold. Don’t fear being different and most of all, don’t be afraid to act with braveness, stand up for your neighbor and do the right thing. It is through acts of courage that we grow as individuals. It is through the seeds of endurance which we plant on this earth that will grow trees of hope in the future. Have the courage to act with righteousness and speak with words of wisdom and hope, especially today, when the world needs it more than ever. With this being said, I really want my readers to take a step back and realize that there is so much hate going on right now and we need to be wiser and use this opportunity to love and bring light to others. It is a time to unite, support, and come together as a community. I would really love for the city of El Paso to be an inspiration and an example. Let’s stand up for peace and hope for a brighter future.
