As we witness (and experience) all the violence and separation going on in our world over politics, gun control, gender issues, and racial issues, let us remember that both violence and peace starts with the choices we each have individually in this moment. Peace starts with how we treat others, how we talk about others. We create peace through our thoughts, language and behaviors. The question is, what are you creating: Drama or Peace?
Does Your Language Create Drama or Peace?
- Is name-calling creating the change you want?
- Is blaming someone else contributing to the solution?
- Are accusations about other people’s motives helping us to think critically?
Let’s step outside of our emotions for one minute and realize this: People are losing friends over ideas about who they think is the best candidate for president!
Before you decide to cut friends from your life or divorce your spouse because they have a different opinion, disagree with you or aren’t as enlightened as you are, please consider these questions:
- When you are sick, who is more likely to bring you chicken soup: Your friend or your presidential candidate?
- When you have had your heart broken and need an ear, who is going to listen to you: Your friend or your presidential candidate?
- When your child has disappointed you, when you’ve suffered loss, when you are depressed, who will comfort you: Your friend or your presidential candidate?
Is it Possible to Disagree Without Drama?
Is our need to be RIGHT bigger than our desire to understand, bigger than our need for relationship with each other? We all want someone to make the change, but we fail to look at what little change we can make to vote for peace. Every time we point fingers at “THEM out there” but while on Facebook we rant, criticize, and belittle others who have different opinions we contribute to the collective violence.
Let’s WAKE UP!! It just takes enough people taking personal responsibility for the energy they bring to the world. There is NO president or power that is going to change our current state because we are missing the lesson. We are creators and we vote through our power of choice. We vote with our thoughts. We vote with our words. We vote with our actions. We vote for drama or we vote for peace. We are all part of what we have created. YOU are the change. I am the change. It starts with me. It starts with you.
Marlene Chism is a consultant, international speaker, and the author of two books: “No-Drama Leadership: How Enlightened Leaders Transform Culture in the Workplace” (Bibliomotion 2015) and “Stop Workplace Drama” (Wiley 2011). Chism’s passion is developing wise leaders and helping people discover, develop and deliver their gifts to the world.
