Celebrating Our Differences: Our Lessons From June

Oh, boy, it's July!  July 5th and it's a hot day!  I had intentions of doing this one earlier, but I suppose the July 4th Holiday excitement was early!   

Well, here we are. June is gone and now it's July! I'll miss June and I'll explain why. June was a special full of important moments. June is a month that reminds me of how amazing it is that everyone is different in their own ways, making our world a colorful place.

June was Pride Month, a time to celebrate and support the LGBTQ+ community. I know it's said that the month was for just the LGBTQ+ community, but I like to think it's about celebrating diversity as well, celebrating diverse people. It was about recognizing all kinds of differences in people whether it came to our skin color, our sexual identities or some other kind of identities or our cultural backgrounds and recognizing how we're all different in our own ways. Accepting the LGBTQ+ community is also about accepting everyone who's different.

It's perplexing how in 2025 today we're still being judged based on our differences. Did a black person choose to be black? Did a person born in America or some other country choose to be born there? Did a person choose to be born with Down's Syndrome? How could we judge them when they didn't even choose how they were born?

How is it fair to judge or hate a person just because they're different from us. Believe me, I bet many people considered changing themselves or who they are because of the hatred they've seen today. But that's not the answer. The answer is just embracing yourself and others. Only control what you can control.

There was also Juneteenth. This was the day on June 19th where we remember the struggles and the victories of African Americans and it's the day for pushing for fairness and equality. It celebrates history that can help us understand and do better today.

Change is difficult for many of us but just trying to change others because we don't like them or can't stand them only leads us to frustration and unmet expectations. If we try to change others, we miss out on self-awareness, our own personal growth and understanding. We miss out on learning about someone and therefore, it's difficult to work with them in the workplace, school and out in the community because we're just full of anger and frustration.

Those emotions can make it difficult to reach both personal and professional goals and experiencing those for a long period of time can cause us chronic stress and I think in today's world, we might have an idea what that chronic stress can do to our bodies! Holding onto the anger and frustration of others causes us to miss out on how wonderful our world really is!

Every June, we recognize that our differences aren't weaknesses, but they are strengths enriching communities, fostering creativity and promoting growth. When I was in college, knew of a person who didn't like someone who was from the LGBT+ community, but they learned a lot about that person and found out many interesting things they didn't know!

I'm happy to say the person continued to live happier and continued to teach others that it's ok to be different, without abandoning their own personal identities. When that person held onto a lot of hatred and anger, their family spent less time with him and his romantic relationship ended abruptly, which drove him into depression for an extended period of time before he realized how much his attitudes affected him personally and professionally.

The important message is simple: love and accept each other, no matter who we are or what makes us different. Hatred and judging others are wrong because no one asks to be born a certain way or to have certain experiences. Everyone deserves kindness and respect, even if they seem different from us.
Let’s learn from each other, celebrate what makes us unique, and work toward a world where everyone feels safe, valued, and accepted. Be true to yourself and encourage others to do the same. Don't change because you are enough! People worry about losing their identities like their belief systems and how their parents raised them, fearing they'll be rejected if they change. Don't fear what you're losing but embrace what you're gaining!

As we go forward, remember what June taught us. Let those lessons guide how we treat others, help us build a more caring and inclusive world, and inspire us to make a positive difference for everyone.

FAQs

• Why is celebrating diversity important?

  Celebrating diversity enriches our lives by exposing us to different perspectives, experiences, and cultures. It fosters empathy, understanding, and creativity, leading to stronger communities and a more inclusive world.

• What can I do to promote acceptance and inclusivity?

  You can start by educating yourself about different cultures and identities, challenging your own biases, and speaking out against prejudice and discrimination. Support organizations that promote equality and inclusivity and actively create spaces where everyone feels welcome and respected.

• How can I be my authentic self?

  Being your authentic self involves understanding and accepting your strengths, weaknesses, values, and beliefs. Embrace your unique qualities, pursue your passions, and don't be afraid to express yourself honestly and openly.

• What should I do if I witness someone being discriminated against?

  If you feel safe, intervene by speaking up against the discrimination, offering support to the person being targeted, and reporting the incident to the appropriate authorities or organizations. If you don't feel safe intervening directly, find other ways to support the person being targeted and report the incident.

• How can I teach children about diversity and inclusion?

  Start early by exposing children to diverse books, toys, and media. Talk to them about differences in a positive and age-appropriate way and encourage them to interact with people from different backgrounds. Model inclusive behavior and challenge any biased or discriminatory comments or actions they may make.  No one is born hating a person.  Hate is taught.  So is love.  Teach love and acceptance if you wish to raise a compassionate generation.  Raising such a generation frees you from the burden of hatred, conflicts, division and even chronic stress and violence!

Nelson Mandela was arrested because he believed violence was the answer to fighting back apartheid laws.  Once released, he realized that reconciliation and forgiveness was how we can attain a more peaceful society.  It's difficult to change when we feel most vulnerable because it's uncomfortable and sometimes, even risky because of societal norms.  We may feel powerless if we change our beliefs and start being more accepting of others.  Change is a slow process, and we can get to that point once we realize the negative impact of prejudices that actually harms us.  

How about choosing kindness over judgment and love over fear? Every one of us has the power to make a positive difference. That's whether it’s by offering a kind word, standing up for someone who’s being treated unfairly (that's easier said than done sometimes, right? Consider what's really important to you when you answer that) or simply embracing the beautiful diversity that makes our world special. I ask of you now to think about how you can foster more acceptance and understanding in your daily life. Together, we can create a more inclusive, loving community, one small act of kindness at a time.

Words Matter: Choosing Kindness in a Digital World

 

It’s disheartening when reading replies to some posts on social media.  Someone posted a reply regarding Starbucks (not here, but another Facebook page) saying they’ve never been there before.  Someone else said, “Who cares?  They didn’t ask if you’re been there before.  Why would you waste your time posting this?”

I think the real question is, “why am I wasting MY time reading this?”  It’s YOUR time that YOU are wasting.  It was your choice to read it and respond and how you respond is your own choice and responsibility.  An author has a reason for posting what they post.  If they’re happy posting it, they’re not wasting their time.  Maybe they just wanted to contribute and share and there were no rules on how to reply.  I appreciate people's feelings about their right to speak and say what they like but there are those who don't always choose their words carefully and realize how it makes people feel.  It's difficult to care more about people we don't know and how they feel but just because it's a right to say what we like doesn't mean we should say them.  Our words have consequences on real people and even the real world.  Guess what?  The real world affects you!  

Whatever you’re reading on social media, it doesn’t mean you have to care but it also doesn’t mean you have to be rude or inconsiderate.  Whether it’s face-to-face or online through a screen, the people you read comments from are real, no matter how fake social media may seem.

If you find a post or reply that annoys you but isn’t breaking any rules, the best thing to do is to just keep scrolling and move on.  I know there are many inconsiderate people and that’s very unfortunate but our behaviors and attitudes do affect us more than you can imagine.  If we were more considerate and kind to others, more people would be the same for us and the rest of our day can be more positive and peaceful.  What comes around, goes around.  I know all this seems cliched but I think it’s worth repeating over and over again until we see changes.  We appear to be progressing but we’re not quite there yet!  Maybe we’re not supposed to be there yet?  Maybe we’re destined to keep doing this for the rest of our lives so younger generations can learn from us?  In reality, this could go on forever but we have a choice: let this last forever or finally be the change?  Don’t wait for change.  Be the change. 

We are taught the way we behave to an extent.  It’s past time to teach our children and everyone of all ages about kindness and it’s really sad that in 2025 and in the world of social media, we still have to do this.  Empathy, kindness and consideration is both innate and taught in some degrees.  A young child may be selfish because he wants all the toys to himself and not share them with his younger sibling.  So he has to be taught to share even though since birth, he’s had the capacity to be kind.

When it comes to social media, people knows we’re talking to total strangers and that’s very unfortunate we’re talking through screens.  So we just say, “who cares what I learned from my parents?  People can’t see me, I can just say whatever I want!” and we start treating Facebook like a wild playground with absolutely no repercussions because there is clearly no one around making any rules how to treat others!  

Regardless of whether you got a screen in front of you, think about your comments.  Are you being kind?  Is it necessary?  Is it beneficial?  Whose time is really being wasted?  Theirs…. or yours?

Before You Judge or Criticize, Just Listen & Learn Something New (Or Help)!

You know what?  I love learning something new every day and anytime an opportunity arises!  I've been around on the Internet trying to find places where I can find some new facts.  If you know of a place where they publish at least one new fact on a regular basis, please drop me a comment!  

What have I learned in the last few days?  Well, did you know..... 

Abraham Lincoln created the Secret Service... on the day he was assassinated?

A dime has 118 ridges?

The string from string instruments used to be made from animal guts?  (Yuck!  Fortunately, they're made of metal now)

The moon actually have moonquakes?

Rubber bands last longer when refrigerated? 

It's always enthralling to learn something new to enrich your mind and broaden your horizons.  

So why don't we do the same with people?  We just end up doing the opposite to people all the time!  We judge and criticize people and we just put them down, without listening, learning or even helping them.

"You're so lazy and slow!"

"Why do you always have to be so loud?"

"You're too clingy, you're suffocating me!"

"Stop talking so much!"

"You're so dumb! Can't you do anything right?"

"Organize your stuff like this, not like that!"

Sound familiar? Too often, we immediately criticize or judge when others annoy us, without taking a moment to pause and reflect. We're too focused on our own feelings to consider how others feel when their habits irritate us. When people react strongly to our actions or words, we often feel stressed. What emotions do we experience when we engage in annoying habits? We may feel tired, frustrated, stressed, lonely, angry, bothered, or lacking something. Sometimes, we may annoy others by being happy, excited, giddy, or amused.

So what if we're feeling happy or excited so we start running around, yelling, laughing and making a lot of noises?  Maybe we make a few silly giggles.  Suddenly, someone's annoyed about the noises and start yelling at us!  Now we're not happy anymore, are we?  We do not like it when we get snapped at or when someone throw things or slam doors because they're frustrated.  Now at that moment, the person is more concerned about how our actions have affected them instead of understanding why we're happy and sharing the joy we're feeling.  

When we're stressed, lonely, or bothered, we feel tension and may do whatever it takes to relieve it. If we're stressed, we talk fast or too much to be understood or because we're nervous! If we're unhappy, we rearrange furniture, drive too fast, turn the TV up too loud, snap at people, or change routines. If we're sad or lonely or we lack something, we cry, complain, overexaggerate, or cling to someone or something important to us. It is natural to seek stress relief.

Unfortunately, it's also human nature to respond when someone is doing something that annoys us!  Both parties involve fight for survival.  The unhappy or overly happy person "survives" by doing whatever it takes to release stress.  The person annoyed with other people's behavior is also trying to "survive" by protecting themselves from the stress caused by the excessive noise and the fatigue from having to deal with more excitement and mayhem.  It's a real battle between two emotionally polarizing people, just trying to survive for their own sanity!

It has always been my belief that everything happens for a reason and we do things like reacting for a reason.  I do believe we react to things to convey our basic needs and to survive, even if it annoys other people.  It may not even have anything to do with basic needs or survival and we may be doing it without realizing how irritating it is.  We might even make loud noises in the kitchen while cooking and we're trying to relax and watch TV.  The wife's trying to cook dinner for her family and doesn't even realize how noisy she is and how much that annoys her husband, who wants to relax and watch TV after a long day at work.

So why do we do those things that irritate others?  It may be to fulfill our basic needs, release tension, communicate our wants and desires or it may be because we've come from a different culture or family that others may not understand.  In America, people might find it annoying when others slurp their noodles.  In many Asian cultures like in Japan, this habit is accepting!  In America, it is usually acceptable to be just one or two minutes late.  But if you are in some countries like Germany, it is considered rude if you arrive somewhere at 12:02pm instead of 12pm.

For most of us, we don't know the reason for other people's behavior and because it can infuriate us sometimes, we tend to lash out and make the person feel bad, judged, criticized and not understood.  How is this helping anything?  What does this accomplish?  Only bad feelings, the person lashing out doesn't learn anything and the person being judged or criticized isn't being understood or helped.  

If someone is being lazy or moving slowly, find out why.  It could be because they're tired, unwell, unmotivated or have a disability that isn't obvious. So help them find a way to achieve their goals or you can just learn patience. Sometimes, we get frustrated because we just don't know how to help.  So learn how!

I'm always grateful when I find someone who is patient because I know they care more about my needs than their own. I'm a perfectionist and worry that I'm not getting something right so I tend to procrastinate (including my blogs. Oops!) but I persevere, learn something on the way and enjoy what I do. Life is a journey, not a race!

If someone is being slow or behind on a task, don't rush or snap at them.  Ask them if they need help or what you can do to help.  They're probably uncertain of what to do or how to get something done like finding Indonesia on the world map.  Doing a difficult task is often stressful and frustrating and not everyone has the same strengths or ways of thinking.  Don’t stress and never yell at them.  Getting agitated or arguing is a huge time-waster  and your hope for a peaceful rest of the day probably just went out the window and you feel like your whole life is ruined! If you are patient and just focused on getting it done, the other person will feel a huge sense of relief and feel good about themselves and you will, too, because you've learned how to keep your cool.

If someone is frequently changing furniture or items, making it difficult to watch TV or maintain inner peace, find out why. Consider whether they're bored or stressed and find ways to compromise or suggest solutions. Communicate with them to understand their reasons and find ways to help them feel less stressed.

If someone is clinging onto you, find out why. It may be due to loneliness, their need to communicate or maybe they just admire you! If it gets to the point where it's unhealthy, it could be psychological. People often rely on others for love and care or something may be wrong so don't ignore them (unless you're absolutely sure they're trying to cause trouble). Be grateful for their admiration and trust. It's challenging to find loyal people, but make time to listen and talk with them, especially when they're feeling distressed.

Next time you get annoyed with someone, bite your tongue, breathe and slow down. We are conditioned to act instinctively and do something that could hurt others. This leads to regret, pain, mistrust, and losing friendships or relationships. Because we're trying to survive, holding back criticism and judgment is tough. This is why we swiftly react before we need a time-out to de-escalate ourselves before we make things right with the person. Saying hurtful things in anger quickly wounds the victim until they heal, depending on the relationship and how the victim feels about forgiveness.

I do believe the best way to hold back from judgement and criticism is to just check ourselves.  Why did we do it?  Because we're angry, frustrated, afraid, hurt or tired?  Making new habits is so hard to do (believe me, I still struggle with some habits.  Hey, I'm not perfect!) so maybe try training our brains to slow down before reacting?  Make it a routine to slow down other things like walking, cooking or driving?  

I cook breakfast sometimes and it has helped me stay alert and slow down.  When I'm reading, I look up words I'm not familiar with or I forget their meanings.  I do push-up every morning in bed because it's convenient and over with.  I also learn a new fun fact, a new vocabulary word and read a bible verse or chapter.  I do all of those on a regular basis because I've trained my brain to keep doing them so they're habits I do without thinking about them.

I think the same can be said if we can keep training our minds and create a habit to not react so quickly, find a way to love and care for that person (when you care about someone, it's easier to forgive them for their flaws).  It's a lot harder to forgive someone you don't know so we tend to be nicer to our families, friends and long-time acquaintances.  However, we may react quickly to strangers for bumping into us, saying rude things, or driving too slowly, despite not knowing their history or how their day is. It's important to be kind and understanding to avoid causing unnecessary drama.

I defy anyone to tell me that showing contempt for others pays off well when they do something that bothers us.  While it's important to be assertive, it should be done cautiously and without hurting others or destroying their confidence. Show empathy for others, learn from them, and help them improve. Both sides will experience more peace in body and mind, learn something new, and as we spread the message, we become more at ease. No one gets hurts!