Self-Esteem: Acceptance of Diversity in Others begins with Acceptance of Self
Diversity is something that I have been hearing more about lately in the news and in general. I think this is a good thing. I have often pondered the idea of how people can come to the outrageous conclusions that someone else is inferior or superior to them simply based on the color of skin.
One of my favorite heroes of all time, Martin Luther King, Jr., said it best…”I have a dream….that one day…people would not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character”. This statement has resonated with me since childhood.
I had to first stop judging myself before I could stop judging others. This is a key to self-esteem. I noticed in myself years ago, that as I grew more and more secure with who I am, the more compassion, fairness and less judgment I felt toward others. Judging others and dividing groups and associations purely based on race limits our view of the world.
The world in obviously filled with a beautiful variety of diverse individuals singing diverse songs. We are as individual as our fingerprints. Instead of trying to keep each other down, and seeing the Universe as impoverished and lacking, I am choosing at this time of crossroads in our history, to look for expanded possibility. Remember we are seeing the world through the eyes of our own limited perceptions.
“We don’t see things as they are, we see them as WE are"
-Anais Nin
As we heal our own minds of the self-rejection and judgment that we feel about ourselves and project out onto others, the world itself will appear more abundant and expansive. This has certainly been my growing experience.
We can then, instead of creating a cacophony of out of tune, harsh noise, we can create a beautiful, harmonic melody of world peace. Did you know that the translation of “Universe” means “One Song”? What kind of melody are you putting out into the world?
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