We Are More Alike Than We Are Different
We Are More Alike Than We Are Different
Kristine Carlson When we sit in a circle together, like we do on my various women’s retreats, and deeply share what’s really going on—I mean, the truth– we find that we are more alike than we are different. The things we truly care about and even our wounds that may come in different stories all lead to the heart.
I’ve rarely met a man or woman who hasn’t struggled with something. Whether it be your personal issue, or that of your partner, kids, or parents—you have struggled with them. You are inextricably woven into the many lives of your friends and family because you love.
Truth is, WE(humanity) are more alike than we are different. It doesn’t matter the color of your skin, or the language you speak, or what you believe. WE have a brain, heart, a face, two kidneys, a liver, a spleen, a gut with intestines, a spine and skeletal system, two arms and legs, and ten fingers and toes. (And, whatever DNA gender items you were born with.) In all of this packaging there exists a mind that is, however, very unique. It filters and processes your experiences through a lens that makes everything seem real to you–a reality that is separate from all others. (But, this reality is not real—it’s just what you interpret through this filter that is your mind full of thoughts, beliefs, and an ego.)
Honor our collective struggles and the simple needs our human family has
Despite our separate realities we live in through our thoughts and beliefs, where we are more alike is what we deeply desire—I mean the real values that we aspire to live by.
Around the globe, no matter what race or religion or career you have— all people— in the family of humanity all wish to love, be safe, and be loved.
WE all want a safe place for our families to live and flourish. WE want good food and clean water. WE want to get up in the morning and look forward to living this day. WE want to know that the world will be here for future generations. WE want to be free to think and believe what is in our hearts. WE want to know that there is a future of possibility. I know that you get this—that you realize these are a high priority for you and your family too.
But today, these basic HUMAN desires are becoming harder to attain. When we allow the ego-mind to become rooted in fear–love fails to reveal itself. This can turn into fanaticism that vastly separates us from being a helper for humanity. And, in truth, It only takes a few who cannot see that we are more alike than we are different to alter life for everyone else. It only takes one crazy person who believes their reality is real and buys into insanity to change the lives of many people.
Like a bad dream, that one person showed up in our small bedroom community in Northern California in Mount Shasta in September. Much of my family lives there. Due to a threat made by one sixteen year old kid, the small police department there (proud of my son in law, who is Sergeant in the Mount Shasta Police department) raided this kid’s home and found semi-automatic weapons under his mattress and over nine hundred rounds of ammunition true to his own omission as he bragged to a classmate about his plan. He had a carefully constructed plan that included shooting out the high school. Danger averted– but the threat and the reality of what might have been shook parents to their cores and rocked the community.
Even the mentally unwell people are more alike than they are different
No one is immune to this disease of violence and no community is safe, if one person is not identified as needing love, support ,and connection.
Those few who become dis-eased by their thoughts of separation have forgotten our connection to our human family and what it means to belong to the WE (the human race.)
And, those few can go into schools, communities, and churches and completely destroy the lives of all the families that are impacted by their actions simply because they have not identified that we are all connected through a fundamental idea—LOVE.
There is a disease going on—it is permeating our world with a new pandemic. One that is invisible until it shows up in a very personal way threatening the peace and safety of your family and friends.
Mount Shasta is a community of 22oo people who live there. I don’t think many of them thought that this kind of violence could happen there. But it turns out, even the mentally unwell people are more alike than they are different too. Maybe, they don’t have so much love in their lives. Maybe, love truly is the cure.
I’ve noticed that since the pandemic, many people are shut off. There is a lack of connection and friendly exchange now. In fact, I’m so surprised when a stranger smiles at me in the grocery store or makes eye contact while out and about. I do my best to continue to be friendly in small ways and open and example kindness wherever I am. If someone stands behind me in line at the grocery store with only a few items in their cart compared to mine—I always let them go ahead of me.
On the roads, I am generous in allowing people in when they are signaling to merge.
I keep some tens and twenties in my wallet to give to women who are homeless and have children.
I always donate at least $5 at the grocery store check out for those who are hungry.
These are the simple small things that if we all did them, we would honor the fact that we are more alike than we are different. We would honor our collective struggles and the simple needs our human family has.
The world is at war, but we can do our part to be a steward of love. WE can bring a little more kindness and connection back as we contribute in small ways to the contentment of others and do what we can to amp LOVE—realizing that the only thing that connects us all is our deep desire to love and be loved.
