We all like to keep our options open, the more options and variety we have, the better for us! A fridge stocked up with all kinds of food, the soft drink rack with all our favourite flavours, and the vast amount of fast food outlets; if the options are endless, we’re happy!
Now, there is nothing wrong with variety and having many different options to choose from; the problem however is when we adopt a selfish approach to these options we have, and we keep them all locked away for our own use – and don’t you dare touch what’s mine!
I find that creative people in particular are quite protective of their ideas, and sometimes we need to be. I’m a song writer and inventor. When it comes to my intellectual property, its mine, it belongs to me. But what if it’s a good idea? It could be mass produced to generate a great source of income for me, but more than that, I could use those funds to better someone else’s life and also create a more convenient life for others because of a great product.
When it comes to cultural and ethnic diversity we become very selfish and we start short-circuiting when confronted by cultural issues. Why is it that we fear such a beautiful thing? Cultural diversity is beautiful, the problem is we have so many preconceived ideas about other races and cultures, so when we even attempt to stretch ourselves and break the mould, we simply short-circuit.
Earlier in this post I spoke about being less selfish and sharing your creativity. Perhaps we need to share in other people’s successes and in their beauty, even if they have different traditions and look a little different to us. I think it’s time to start tolerating one another a little more and avoid comparing ourselves to other people, using ourselves as the scale of judgment to ensure they weigh up to our standards.
If you struggle in celebrating other people’s successes or even tolerating other cultures or ethnic groups, click on the banner below and contact us today, we’d love to help you!