Building bridges.
I'm a bridge (builder / burner).
Which are you? Do you build bridges with those who look, act and think differently than you? Or are you busy setting fires?
Our reaction is to shut-down those who are not a part of "our tribe". Political, ideological, geographical, economical, demographical. We point fingers at "them", dig our heels deeper, and direct our anger towards "them". Evolutionarily speaking, it has been in our best interest historically to do this for our survival. Times have changed. Our biggest threats to survival now, aren’t the tribe on the other side of the hill. Our biggest threats to survival are global issues: climate change, war, poverty, public health.
Yea ok. But, my side is right, and their side is wrong.
Yo human! Stop doing this. NOW.
What does taking sides accomplish? It feels cathartic. It solidifies your "good standing" amongst those who agree with you. It boosts your ego when people who agree with you give you credits and praise. But it does absolutely nothing to build a bridge with someone who looks, acts and thinks differently than yourself. And the world needs more bridges right now.
We need to expand our vision of what we consider "our tribe". It's not in the Human Family's best interest to dismiss, disregard or disrespect other people. Period. It's our job to foster conversation and connection, so we can get to a place of trust in building a future we both feel good about.
Until we can figure out how to solve problems together, then the issues that we face are going to be very difficult to answer. The solutions of tomorrow will need a unified plan of action, and a unified response. I believe it is possible. Every one of us has a part to play in shifting our culture to one shines the light on those who act as connectors.
We fail each other when we spend more time burning bridges than building them. We fail each other when our lack of productive communication is an impediment to finding effective ways to mitigate suffering, and solve for the brightest future.
Take accountability right now to build more bridges.
When we build bridges, we gain the opportunity to also build a clearer vision of our shared reality, and a unified map for collective action. Will you help build bridges with me?
Drop a comment on Instagram, we’d love to hear your feedback! And if you haven’t already taken our #MakeGood pledge, we encourage you to! We are all about helping others get some extra light on the amazing efforts they are putting out there into the world.