Raise the issue, or it will continue..

I want people to do better. It is hard to sit back and say nothing when I see someone acting out in a way they might regret later. I do not want them to be on their death bed wondering: “If I had only done ‘X’, how different my life might have been.”

I want people to know that we are capable of being and acting in those ways NOW. It is all a matter of choice. There is no need to create our own suffering as we so frequently do. There is no need to live in a constant state of fear.

I know we cannot change other people, but we can hold them accountable for the behaviors they choose. We cannot change the world, but we can tell someone in our family if they are acting out of fear, rather than love.

Show them it is not OK to hate other people based on their skin color, tell them it is not OK to call other people names and belittle them. It is not OK to model certain behaviors and teach the children in our family to hate. Raise the issue, or it will continue, and continue, throughout future generations.

That is my commitment to creating change. Other than holding myself accountable, I will also hold my family and friends accountable – even if it is uncomfortable for everyone else. There will be boundaries, and if they are unable to respect those boundaries, then there will be consequences. Be it choosing to leave the event, asking them to leave, or even discontinuing communication.

As I have said in a previous blog:

“You can control your behavior; you cannot control the consequence. You cannot control the boundaries others will impose as a result.”

I am always looking at situations and thinking about the outcome my actions will create. My intent is never to harm another.

I do not feel it is too much to ask for others to do the same.


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