My brothers and sisters and I grew up in a prejudice-free home.
That’s not entirely accurate, so let me explain. When we were growing up, it was my father’s influence that governed how we spoke about other people. I don’t know for sure, but I suspect that Dad experienced his own share of discrimination, having grown up in a poor Swedish immigrant family in the New Jersey suburbs of New York City. My mother had her share of prejudices, which we were all aware of, and yet my Dad would never allow us to voice similar opinions without challenging them. I thank him for that, as it has given me a unique way of dealing with people whose opinions and beliefs differ from my own.
Earlier today a friend of mine added a comment to my Facebook status. His comment included language that condemned an entire religion. I added my own comment in reply, seeking to soften his language. Next thing I knew, he had posted a second comment that justified (in his mind) his prejudice. So I decided instead to delete all three comments—his two and my one—and I wrote him an e-mail explaining why I took this action. Needless to say, his e-mail reply to me contained further justification for his negativity and hatred. Sigh.
One thing I have learned is the power of the law of attraction. By filling our lives with negativity, we attract more negativity. When we choose instead to focus on the positive, we attract more of the positive. Even with people who disagree with me on issues that are important to me, I choose to find common ground … and there is always common ground to be found.
I am not being a Pollyanna in choosing to focus on the positive. I do it because it actually works. In so many ways, my life has been one blessing after another. Yes, there have been hard times. Those who know me personally, know that I am going through one of them right now. And yet even with all that is going on in my life right now, God’s blessings are palpably present. I have a family that loves me just as I am. I have friends with hearts of gold. I have met an entirely new class of folks since I got involved with network marketing seven years ago—people that want nothing more than to see me succeed, and I them.
At the end of his e-mail to me, my disaffected friend commented on my decision to clean up my Facebook page, because I use it for “self-promotion, recruitment, and networking for profit.” He continued, “I learn little about my friend Carl, and too much about ‘Carl as a business.’ Where did my friend go? I miss him.” Well, my friend, I’m still here. In fact, I’m still the man you knew ten years ago. However, I have grown. Maybe once upon a time you and I would have sat around bitching and moaning about some issue or other. I won’t do that any more. I’ve seen how it poisons people; I’ve seen how it has poisoned you.
Over the years, as I have made new friends, I have also had to let some old friends go. I hope this is not one of those times, but if it is, so be it. I can do more good in the world by minimizing the negative influences in my life. And I want the world to be a better place for my having been here.
The bottom line is this: There is absolutely no room in my life for bigotry, prejudice, narrow-mindedness, and other poisons—even if I agree with you on the issue at hand!
Thanks, Dad!
