What had us think that we are all that different?

Today while taking my daughter to school, we parked our car along the roadside to drop her off; suddenly another car just drove in front of our car recklessly and stopped to drop his daughter off.  The way his car was parked disrupted the entire flow of the traffic and I noticed my instant thought was “Oh! No.  He is Chinese, how un-thoughtful and what will others think about Chinese drivers.” And instantly, the next thought is “What are people going to think about me the next time they see me since I am “Chinese”?”  Yes I admit automatically those were the thoughts that came in.  We all have those thoughts, the good thing is I have awareness of them now so I don’t react nor take any actions on them. I just noticed them and saying thank you for sharing and let those thoughts go.

However, it had prompted me this time to think further again about ethnicity.  What would the world be like if we really stop using these language of division?  Instead of labeling and calling someone a White or Black or Chinese or Asian or even labeling each other based on where we are from: Canadians, Malaysians, Indians, and so on.

Truly what had us think that we are all that different? Where did all these come from?  How quickly I myself started labeling? Did we take time to think about it?  Where do our perceptions of how “these” people behave or will be come from?  And more importantly, do they serve us these perceptions and do they serve our world?

Yes, the color of our skin is different but that’s about it.  We may have grow up in a different environment and therefore learn different ways of living yet if we look at each other, we are the same.   Put a lighter skin child in India and he or she will learn the ways of the people there.  Put a darker skin child in Texas, USA and he or she will learn the ways of the people there and most likely speak with an accent too. Now, some may read this and find my words “racist” yet I am only defining the color of the skin.  Unless the one that is reading this is thinking about all the opinions or judgments about what the color of the skin means, and felt that I am being a racist when the fact is I am only describing.

Are we all any different from each other?

Human beings are born with two eyes, one nose, one mouth, two ears, two arms, two legs, a torso, a head, neck, I can go on and on yet you get me.  The fact is we come in different packaging style and color.  That’s all.  Curly hair, straight hair, rounder face, sharper face, darker skin, lighter skin, taller, shorter…

What will the world look like if we just address each person as a human being? And just see them as a unique individual? Not based on their skin color, country they come from, their background, their parents’ background, and educational background.  How will the world be like?  Look into the person eye’s and just see him or her for who he/she is.

I would say it would be pretty amazing!  Shedding all those labels and just embracing each individual for who they are! Truly inspiring and liberating!  I see then people will embrace themselves fully, being who they are best, expressing their full potential and expressing talents and creating a better world for all..

Today, I invite you to practice seeing each person for who they are not who they are labeled to be and share with us how this practice has changed your life!