You Have The Right To Be You
Flames
Did you know that May 4th is Firefighters day?
When I think about the word flames, I think of firefighters and how these men and women risk their lives to save others. Everyone is made for something and not everyone can do what they do. It takes a lot of courage to see a house or building in flames, enter that house or building, and be so focused and driven to save lives not knowing if they will come out alive.
It truly takes a service mindset to do what they do.
Timika
“If you do not conquer self, you will be conquered by self” Napoleon Hill
As we evolve, I believe we can no longer use the excuse that because this happened, I chose to do this or that, or because he yelled and called others outside of their names, I am going to do the same. What good is it to continue to foster hate? Do not let outside influences control you. You choose how you are going to be regardless of the circumstance. Stand firm in who you are and what you believe in. Find alternate ways to bring about changes and make your voice heard.
We all have gifts, talents, and skills to use to make a difference in this world. What we harbor within, without self-control, has the tendency to cause more damage than good.
It is up to us how we choose to express ourselves. We choose our perceptions of events/experiences.
There are two paths I see- the path of love (honest, fair, justice, respect, etc.) or the path of hate (anger, fear, intimidation, etc). We can choose to make our voices heard by yelling, calling others outside of their names, and/or use violence to bully others into getting what we want or think creatively and outside of the box to change processes that we are unsatisfied with.
We do not have to mimic the very behavior we despise. If we are not comfortable with someone raising his or her voice, then why would we do the same? If we believe that others should be treated with respect, then we should keep the same principle when we do not have the outcomes we desire. There is more than one path to a solution. We choose the path we want to be on.
“Circumstance does not make the man; it reveals him to himself.” Napoleon Hill
Irrational thoughts can lead to irrational behavior. We can seek nonviolent ways to find solutions to the issues/concerns that we have. What we express on the outside mimics what we are on the inside. Under anger and violence is fear. For those of us dealing with anger and finding ourselves thinking of violent behavior, we may want to ask what are we fearful of and possible ways to make a difference?
For years, many individuals have struggled to have their voices heard, and over time, there has been progress on so many levels, and I can understand the frustration and feeling like giving up, when we feel that progress is not happening fast enough.
If we do not like the outcome, let’s take steps to change the process. How can we put ourselves in position to change how things are done?
1. How can we continue to educate ourselves, including our children, about our country and our processes and offer solutions through friendly petition and by serving on committees geared towards positive change? Our children are watching.
2. How can we use our voices to speak for our rights and rights for others to live in a more peaceful and fair country?
3. How can we position ourselves and run for specific offices (Senator, Governor, President)to increase our chances of seeking peace and justice for all?
