Gazing in the Mirror

November 5 - Allowing Diversity

... in diversity there is
beauty and there is strength.
We all should know that
diversity makes for a rich
tapestry, we must understand
that all the threads of that
tapestry are equal in value ...
~ Maya Angelou

We are told to affirm, positively,
to assert, to declare this truth ...
this is the way Life works. It
knows nothing of discord or fear;
It forever sings to songs of Its
own being.
~ Ernest Holmes

I believe that one of the keys to harmony is accepting or allowing for diversity. The reality is that there is not only one kind of person. We have differences in what tastes good to us or what we want in life or even how we like to express our personality – introverted, extroverted, calm, or excitable. These days I have found that "differences" don't really bother me. I can love people just as they are and even if they exasperate me sometimes. Something in me has truly changed. I believe some of that change is because I don't see any one way of being as THE only way to be, therefore I can fairly easily accept all kinds of ways for people to be.

I believe that diversity is a very healthy thing. Too much of the exact same kind of being becomes vulnerable to total collapse. I enjoy hearing a diversity of perspectives and find that my own perspective may morph a bit from being exposed to another person's point of view. This does not mean that I lack core principles. It does mean that I am realistic. I don't know everything. No one knows everything but when minds are combined together, 2 or more people can always arrive at better and more complete perspective than one person alone can do.

Our world faces many challenges and the way to find the novel solutions that we need is by allowing many minds and perspectives to flow through discourse, make their mark, reality check each other and build new perspectives that are a lot like an expansive kind of consensus. Rather than evolving along a single directional path, our diversity often allows us to step into an intersection of cultures and ideas. That is what I truly appreciate about being in a global virtual community. This experience has allowed me a kind of growth for which I find no comparison within a limited geographical locality. Being immersed in a global community allows for remarkable quantum leaps in perception. Unusual combinations become more possible in the mind.

The diversity we experience in community spans the boundaries of our countries and cultures in novel ways, allowing us to discover common ground with one another. Commonality brings an acceptance that we might never have discovered possible otherwise. It is possible that some limited concepts relevant in our day-to-day existence may lose some relevancy when viewed from a global perspective. We are also challenged by one another in novel ways. We are forced to reconsider the accuracy of our beliefs as we try to convey them to others who have grown up within different backgrounds and cultures.

By sharing with diverse people "in community" we begin to see the issues of civilization not from the perspective of our national interest only but as a shared global issue – part of a bigger picture that is not only about our local neighborhood but includes the interests of a shared global neighborhood. As we interact with one another we are experimenting with new ideas that evolve by sharing our own more limited perspectives and in the process getting a reality check on the beliefs we have held sacred. With input from perspectives that we may never have considered before, our cross-cultural exposure to one another makes for new possibilities. We become more receptive and open to all kinds of alternatives. We are less rigid and "set" in or attached to our own way.

As we allow diversity to be a normal kind of experience in the wholeness that is our life's perspective, and especially for me this occurs through my virtual on-line relationships, I believe that humanity will become more open to a greater diversity overall in day-to-day lives and this broader perspective can filter into our local community experiences. The more that we are able to allow diversity into our individual experience, the more easily we accept diversity as a natural element of life on this planet. The more naturally diversity becomes a part of our daily experience, the more quickly novel solutions can begin to emerge to help solve long or problematically entrenched situations. I have a great deal of optimism for the future of our species because we are beginning to be able to accept each other's differences more easily and the unique differences within each of us can begin to be seen as a good thing that we each are able to add to the mix that becomes a whole.

~ perspective

I find great joy in meeting and
getting to know people from
all over the planet.
I enjoy being exposed to new
ways of being and at the same
time discovering how much I
actually have in common with
other people everywhere I
discover them.
I am open and receptive to
novel ideas that arise as
patterns that come together
from a large diversity of
influences.
I recognize the value in
mutual understanding which
brings more trust and respect
within me for people everywhere
and this is my greatest hope
for a peaceful and harmonious
future.
I recognize a universal right to
exist for all cultures, for all
modes of thinking and all ways
of being and I reach out to
create bonds of acceptance
with other people everywhere.

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