THE QUESTION IS
To be or not to be... the kind of person you want to see more of in this world?
The past 50 to 100 years have brought many changes to this world.
Of course, mankind has been inventing things much longer than that. First there was the club, the spear, fire, even the wheel.
Oh wait... those go all the way back to the days of the cavemen.
More recently, we have seen the car, electricity, computers, and now artificial intelligence.
Change can be nice. Many of these inventions have brought convenience and made life easier in countless ways.
But there has been another kind of change over the past 50 years, and it has not been so nice.
People just are not being very nice to one another anymore.
To be more blunt, many are being downright hateful.
If you are young, maybe you have not noticed it as much. But if you are over 50, you have definitely seen it.
Neighbors used to be neighbors, and you knew them well. Neighbors used to help each other and be like an extension of your family. In many places, neighborhoods helped raise the children together. These things were once a normal part of society.
But something has changed.
And that something is not good.
Neighbors are not so neighborly anymore. In many cases they are little more than acquaintances, total strangers, or worse... even enemies.
Fifty years ago, people did not lock their house just to run to the grocery store. When they got to the grocery store, they did not lock their cars either.
But today, people leave the house, lock the door, and set the alarm. Then they get to the store, lock the car, and then set the alarm there too.
And once inside the store, people often do not even want to make eye contact, much less talk to one another.
You know what I mean, don't you?
You have seen the changes in our society.
Something is moving through the very fabric of society.
And it is growing like a weed.
Unchecked, weeds take over everything. They spread fast, and before long, they are everywhere.
In this case, that weed has a name:
Hate.
Here is the problem: You cannot make anyone change.
You just cannot.
Oh, you can wish they would change, but you know as well as I do that wishing does not make it happen.
No, you cannot make anyone change.
But... you can encourage it.
How?
It is simple.
Be the person you want to see more of in this world.
That is right.
Set the example.
Be like the Pied Piper of the old childhood stories. Play the kind, pleasant, loving song, and others will want to join in and experience the joy.
Why?
Because people are starving for love, joy, kindness, and peace, even if many of them do not know how to say it.
They want what they are missing.
And when they see someone carrying something better, many will be drawn to it.
Like weeds, hate is spreading through our society, and it is taking over fast.
But you and I can become catalysts for change.
Like a sower spreading seeds, we can go forth and spread the luv.
You can have an amazing effect on those around you — your neighbors, your friends, your co-workers, your family, and yes, even your enemies.
Picture this:
You walk into a room, and in that room there are two people.
One is sitting in the far left corner with a snarl on their face.
The other is sitting in the far right corner smiling at you.
Pause for a moment and really get that picture in your head.
Got it?
Good.
Now answer this:
Your one and only assignment when walking into that room is to go speak to just one of those two people.
Based on what you see, the snarling face and the happy face, which person are you going to be drawn to?
Which person would you rather talk with?
That is easy, is it not?
Almost everyone will be drawn to the happy, smiling face, because deep down we prefer joy over misery.
And I dare say there are only two kinds of people who will be drawn first to the miserable one.
The first is the miserable person themselves, because misery loves company, and birds of a feather do tend to flock together.
The second is the person with empathy — the one who wants to go over, give them a hug, offer them a smile, and share a little luv with an unhappy soul.
That kind of person may even invite the other happy soul to come over and help share that warmth too.
Now think about that.
Hate may grow as fast as weeds.
But love... love is a powerful force.
Love can overcome hate.
And every day, you have a choice.
You can spread hate into the world, or you can spread love.
So the question really is:
To be or not to be... the kind of person you want to see more of in this world?
If you choose love over hate... then be the person you want to see more of.
Go forth and spread the luv.
A Final Thought
You can choose to be part of the problem, or part of the solution.
You are choosing love, or you are choosing hate.
You can sit back, do nothing, and remain part of the problem while hate keeps spreading.
Or you can decide to become the kind of person you want to see more of in this world.
Because hate spreads.
But love can spread too.
Stand up in the fight against hate. Choose to spread the luv!
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