With everything that has transpired in the world since I last wrote to you (less than thirty short days ago), I struggled to come up with content for this newsletter (for obvious reasons). I wanted to write to you a couple of weeks ago, because probably like you, I was searching for understanding, answers and perhaps a sounding board.

I decided against it and instead went inward, where I often find myself these days, wondering Where are we? How did we get here?  How can I navigate my way back home again?

I practice the art of observing without absorbing and to be honest, I fail at it… a lot.

They say it’s much easier to see qualities that you like or dislike in others rather than yourself, so I’ll share with you what I observed.

It didn’t matter what “side” you were on either. My phone blew up with texts and calls from friends and family who expressed their opinions and they fell into two camps; How could that happen? or Did that really happen?  Followed by:  righteous indignation, deep sadness and confusion.

Soon, companies were making statements supporting or condemning a side, which seemed to re-ignite the debate, division and anger, because after all how could you believe that?!

Here’s what I didn’t see: love, forgiveness, kindness or compassion (not for political leaders), but for each other.

We are all Americans, we are all human and I have to believe that at our deepest level we all want peace, prosperity, health and happiness.

I have to think that regardless of what people believe, or how they came to believe what they do, that their passion to persuade others to believe as they do comes from a good place and not a nefarious one.  

But… here’s the thing:

We aren’t all the same. We all have different opinions based on how we were raised, educated and influenced by friends, family, media, social media, legacy media, demographics and economics.

As much as you think you are waking someone up by sharing your opinion (by shaming, lecturing, screaming, or pleading), I assure you, you aren’t.

You are just alienating your fellow humans (some of which you love). Have you noticed just how much we have all stopped talking to one another? I vaguely remember somewhere that we do have the right to have different opinions.

In order to truly think differently about something, anything, you yourself must have a spark in you to explore and seek out more knowledge about any given subject.

We all wake up at different times to truth.

You may have a feeling that something isn’t right, or you’re not getting a true story. So like a pioneer searching for new lands, you must first lose sight of the shore to discover it for yourself.

As a small business owner, I don’t feel like it’s my job to lecture to you about politics, tell you who to vote for, jump on social justice bandwagons or donate to any cause. That’s because as my customer, I am sincerely grateful for you and your business. The only thing I support as the Celtic Complexion CEO is your right to freedom to choose as you wish.

Does that mean I don’t have an opinion on current events?

Yes, of course I do but I will be the first to admit I have been wrong before and my opinions have changed based on new knowledge that I have acquired in my own journey.

In the meantime, I just enjoy the commonality that I have with people and avoid all conversations about politics, health, religion, world and national events (especially with people I know that have different views from mine).

It’s not my desire to make a friend feel like they have to defend their beliefs, nor do I feel like a debate every time we see each other.

 After the events that unfolded a couple of weeks ago, I am also going to avoid those same conversations with people that share the same views as I do, because those conversations make me sad.

If you are arguing with the people that disagree with you, or crying with the ones that you do agree with, where does that leave you?

It leaves you miserable, that’s where, and that’s no way to live.

I had that epiphany yesterday while I was at the home of a woman who I hired to give me sewing lessons. She is a retired elementary teacher. We spend two hours a week talking only about sewing, fabric, designs, etc.

 I don’t know her opinion on anything other than sewing, and you know what? When I leave her house, I am uplifted, energized and empowered to create. I usually come home and continue to sew.

I thought about all of the classes I’ve taken since 2020. Lots were on Zoom, some we in person but what ruined them for me were the opinions of others in a shared space. Without consciously realizing it, the opinions of either the teachers or students alienated a lot of people.  

It made me wish for a space where I could meet with other creatives and just create without talking about anything else, sort of an Artists Anonymous collective.

In another example, I signed up for an anti-aging yoga six week class. I was the youngest in the class by about twenty years, but it didn’t matter because we were all there to enjoy a class.

It was clear that all of the ladies knew each other from previous classes and I couldn’t help but to overhear their conversations. It was all about their ailments, doctors’ appointments, prescriptions, and insurance supplements.

Also not my group.

My journal entry today:

I welcome the next chapter of my life surrounded by joy-seeking, positive, happy people that have a desire to enrich the lives of others with their humor, wisdom and outlook on life.
Try this: For one week, don’t engage, respond or judge a situation with any negativity. If someone wants to engage with an opinion or comment, just respond “hmmm, interesting”. Then say “Tell me something good that’s happening in your life!”

Once you do this for a while, it becomes glaringly apparent how much negativity you consume in any given day. You will also recognize how good you feel when it’s removed from your life.

Less stress=better health.