I was inspired to write this article by A. writer's article “To Protect and Serve” that can be found at the following link: To Protect and To Serve.
Every time that I see a police officer or a fire fighter pass me by, I always try my best to say a silent prayer. My heart goes out to these noble people; people who are willing to risk their lives for the safety of complete strangers, men and women who are self-sacrificing and stand for what is truly most important in this world, the goodness, the protection, and the safety of others.
(If you would like to, please take the time to visit Firefighters Decals MySpace page. You can easily support them by purchasing their stickers. They are inexpensive and they look great. I purchased one myself and proudly display it on my car.)
Yes, it is true that some people abuse power. Some people have done things that are not "right," but this can be found in any segment of the population. There are lawyers who are cheating the system, doctors who use uncouth procedures, and businessmen who cannot be trusted. There are even ministers who use the Lord's name in vain.
It is true that we have all seen the darker side of human nature, but we do not have to fall prey to these indiscretions. We do not need to needlessly stereotype certain populations in a holistic fashion. No one person wants to be stereotyped for his or her cultural beliefs, background or practices. No one career path is better than any other person's. We must all try our best to understand one another. We must all try to live our lives with compassion. We must all look at each new person as a clean slate; a blank canvas.
For example, Christianity can mean a million different things to a million different people. To one person it might mean going to church religiously every Sunday. To another it may mean reading the Bible every night. To another it might mean praying whenever possible. The differences are endless. No one person's path is the “right” path. No one person's choice is better than another's.
You cannot judge a person unless you have “walked a thousand miles” in his or her shoes and even then, you can never judge another person. When you think about how many things you go through in just a single day, just imagine what others do in their entire lives. You can live with another person for your entire life and still not know everything there is to know about him or her. It would be impossible.
To make this world a better place, we need to start focusing more closely on the positives in other people. We need to focus more readily on ourselves and how we can improve our minds, bodies, and spirits. We need to continue to nourish our souls. We need to learn how to be more compassionate to ourselves so that instead of criticizing and always looking for the worst in others, we can look for the very best. When you see the best in others you get the best from others. When you see the worst, the opposite is true. People can feel your energy. They can tell whether you like them or not. We are all just doing the very best we can in life.
Take care of yourself and each other; best wishes to all.
