Accuse. Fuel. Experience. RESIST!
There is nothing good in hate. How can an intense dislike for someone or something have any positive ramifications? In today’s volatile political climate the greatest irony has emerged, gangs of people combatting presumed “hate speech” with outright acts of contempt. Even worse, they do it under the guise of righteousness. There is no justification in harming complete strangers simply because one assumes views different from their own.
Everyone has a voice in our country, and it’s unfortunate that there are those who use it to spew profanity and anger. When it comes from a place of ignorance, it is downright shameful. Hate is an illness, it can consume you, but not everyone recognizes it as unhealthy. We’ve all experienced dark feelings and it is up to us to control those emotions. We have to remain rational. The moment you act out of bounds you are no longer entitled to respect. The phrase “behave yourself” is based on an age old basic concept that finds itself suddenly and inexplicably challenged. People believe they are right to act like animals. We need to re-train ourselves to understand, appreciate and have integrity. We need to correct our oversights so we can pass genuine values on to our children. We need to take a breath…
We’ve all seen the effects of hate, from the ravages of war to the tragedies in our personal lives. Differences of opinion should never be a source of venom between family or longtime friends. But it is, and the results are profoundly unfortunate. It’s much easier to justify hate that is the result of severe betrayal. Good people have found themselves in very dark places as the result of the actions of others. But that’s the problem, one cannot remain in such a place for long. You can’t obsess over your pain, you will slowly kill yourself. You must take a breath…
There are keys to the secrets of overcoming hate. One unlocks the door of forgiveness. Open it and leave all ugly and damaging feelings behind. You’ll instantly feel the air as fresher and your breathing easier. If you can’t let go of the source of your hate you will forever be chained to a weight that serves only to hold you back. If the person or persons at the source of your foul emotions are still visible components of your life, you must communicate with them and kill the elephant in the room. Get it all out. Move on. Forgive. Exhale.
At some point in life we all must accept that not all is within our power. We learn early that we cannot control the actions of others. There’s none but the hard way to realize that we cannot change that which has already happened. Learn to be self-analytical. Is there anything NOW that you can change? That’s where your focus needs to be, not on the past. There is no sense harboring resentment over being powerless. Millions share the dilemma, none benefit from choosing to keep it alive. You always have the power to help yourself. Accept things you cannot change. Breathe. Move on. Emerge.
Overcoming your hate can be like an epiphany. There are cases of folks that have harbored hate and anger toward certain individuals well into their old age, and the source of their hate now suffers from ailments, no longer resembling any sort of threat. They are revealed as vulnerable flesh and blood humans who are hardly perfect, and in need. Especially in a familial setting you may develop a willingness to serve this person in their time of need and completely leave all of that old hate in the dust, where it belongs. Emerge. Grow.
One can be consumed with negative emotions for years. But there is truth in the saying that time heals the wounds no one can see. It doesn’t happen quickly. It helps if you make the effort to push the ugliness aside. You can’t cling to it, it’s too destructive. But once you realize the severity of feelings in your heart the sooner you’ll be able and willing to remedy the situation. Let go.
If we truly embrace the values of our country we must also strive to understand and accept that each person is different. We have our own beliefs, we have all suffered and wept and we respect that others have too. We have varied levels of motivation, discipline and education. But it’s not for us to judge. It is not for us to cast the first stone. There will never be two individuals who agree on everything, nor shall there be two who agree upon nothing. Always try to take the high road, try to put yourself in the shoes of others, to make sense of why they feel the way they do, it’s not hard to become understanding and sympathetic to another. Accept.
We need to fill our lives with love. Fortunately there are thousands maybe millions who share the same philosophy. Recognize those that are stirring the pot in disguised attempts to drum up anger and hate. Ignore them. Breathe. Take the high road. Love can conquer all if we let it, and it’s high-time we did. Peace.
“Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that” – Martin Luther King Jr.
