“The world needs a sense of worth, and it will achieve it only by its people feeling that they are worthwhile.”–Fred Rogers
The pursuit of Spiritual well-centeredness is the shift from self-centeredness to other-centeredness. It is the practice of “I am third” (i.e., “my God is first, my family and friends are second, and I am third”). It is asking others, as Mr. Rogers taught us, “Won’t you be my neighbor?” Above all it is loving your neighbor—without exception.
We are in a highly divisive time in this nation. There are shouts from the extremes that drown out the sensibilities of the spectrum in the middle. We are being led to believe that it is “us v. them”. This division is fueling contempt and hatred. People are being stripped of their worth and it makes them angry and defensive—thus throwing kerosene on the fire.
There is a third way. It is the approach that Mr. Rogers taught us. It is the way of love.
We don’t have to agree on anything. We just need to respect others and give value to their feelings and ideas. Indeed, disagreement is good, because it often leads to better ideas. The more we belittle and dismiss other, however, the more entrenched they will become in their ideas—the uglier our interactions are going to become.
It is time to pursue unity—to make everyone (no exceptions) welcome at the table. As Dr. Suess wrote: “A person’s a person, no matter how small.” After all, “Without feelings of respect, what is there to distinguish men from beasts?” (Confucius).
Be your best today; be better tomorrow.
Carpe momento!