It’s been quite a year. Many of us have had to offer our condolences to many friends and family members who were clearly destined for a life of impact. Some have lost their lives; some have lost their homes; some have been evicted.
Topics as basic as human rights remind us of the divided world we live in, in which many buy into what one side is saying. We are living in a world dominated by social media. A world in which there are often times in which the more we look, the less we see. As long as social media seeks more of our attention, it will continue to present us with articles and data whose vision aligns well with ours – even if it’s incorrect or manipulated.
We have created a digital world in which our imbalanced social dynamics often suppress minorities and push against inclusion and diversity. They do so by creating ‘safe spaces’ that promote division. At a time in which we need to be united, it is easiest to distance ourselves from the uncomfortable or the unknown and be only with similar-minded people.
This is a call for unity, a call for action. For us to resort to being better informed by following people and media that we might not agree with. The more we listen to arguments that we do not agree with, the more our minds are able to clearly put into words the underlying principles that we chose to believe in. We are then forced to think about the values others might be missing when rationalizing their behavior or beliefs.
We have to proactively choose to explore and understand mindsets that are different from our own in order for us to grow. Growth often happens when we are least comfortable with the current circumstances. We need to learn how to be comfortable with being uncomfortable.
It’s been quite a year. Amidst the loss of many lives and values, we need to be those who recognize that even though we can’t bring someone’s life back, we can at least bring the positive values by which they used to navigate their lives. We have to be the ones who balance the unfairness by injecting not only a vaccine, but values.
I’m by no means advocating we should all be happy or positive all the time. There is a time to mourn, a time to yell and be mad – and that’s okay. But when we get to a point in which we can manage our internal struggles, then we can begin to build a powerful shared conscience.
While it feels as if COVID-19 “evicted’’ many from their lives ahead, there have been those of us who continue to fight for the lives of others. Those fighting for equal opportunity to everyone. Those fighting for everyone to have a home.
This is a call for unity.
A call for action. A hopeful awakening. They say awareness is the first step towards improving our condition. Now that we know what’s at stake, let’s work together and bring, step by step, more peace into our communities.
About Rodolfo Delgado
Rodolfo Delgado is Replay Listings founder and CEO. Rodolfo is also a member of the Forbes Real Estate Council and has contributed by writing monthly articles in Forbes since 2019. He currently lives and works in New York. Contact Rodolfo via his website at www.rodolfodelgado.com