Are you the Bridge or the Barrier?

Something has been weighing heavy on me, and I’ve had a hard time figuring out how to articulate, but here it goes.

For those who want to believe that we don’t have broken systems in this world because you may not be directly impacted, or refuse to believe that there is nothing wrong in this world. I would like you to think about a different perspective.

Most of us have lived in a household of more than 1 person in our lifetime and most still do. Think about your daily routine in that household. You have different processes you conduct daily. Whether it’s getting up to take a shower, eat breakfast or organize your day. Those processes are part of the bigger system, the running of the household collectively. Your behaviors within that system not only impact you, but it also impacts the system (your household). If you are having a bad day and take it out on the system, your behaviors change the entire dynamics of your system. It stresses the system which can cause other adverse behaviors.

How does this relate to today? We live in a system (the world) governed by processes. Where some of the processes are broken due to behaviors of others, which changes the dynamics for those living in the system (whether we want it to or not). That does not mean that everyone in the system is bad, it just means that there are parts of the system that need to be re-evaluated because the dynamics, and function of the system have changed due to certain behaviors. So if you can change the dynamic of your household how can you not believe that behaviors of those who live in the world can’t change the dynamics and experiences of those who live here?

So instead of spending so much energy arguing that the system ISN’T broken because you may not be experiencing the shift in dynamic, why not take a moment and clearly put yourself aside to listen to what others are experiencing in the same system in which you live. Wouldn’t you listen to a family member living in your household if their was a grIevance to get the system back intact?

Listen to understand, not to respond . At the end of the day we all have to live in this system and most just want to feel, and experience the same dynamic of the system as others.

I’ll leave you with this:

“Wakanda will no longer watch from the shadows. We can not. We must not. We will work to be an example of how we, as brothers and sisters on this earth, should treat each other. Now, more than ever, the illusions of division threaten our very existence. We all know the truth: more connects us than separates us. But in times of crisis the wise build bridges, while the foolish build barriers. We must find a way to look after one another as if we were one single tribe.” - Quote from Black Panther - tribute to Chadwick Boseman