What's Your Story

Let's cut the crap and really look at each other.

We're so quick to judge, to assume we know someone's story based on a glimpse.

But we don't know shit.

Consider the person who's always loud, always talking. Maybe they were silenced as a kid, and now they're screaming to be heard. Maybe they're desperate for validation, for someone to see them.

Or what about the person who seems self-absorbed? Maybe they're fighting to build themselves up, to prove their worth.

Take the entrepreneur who seems full of themselves, constantly bragging about their success. Maybe they're not arrogant, maybe they're terrified of failing. Maybe they're working overtime to stay focused on their vision, to prove to themselves and others that they're worthy.

Or the activist who's always in your face, fighting for their cause. Maybe they're not just being confrontational, maybe they're fighting for their very existence. Maybe they're pushing boundaries because they've been pushed to the edge.

We've all been guilty of judging someone, thinking they're too full of themselves, and assuming they don't need our reassurance.

But I'm here to tell you that everybody needs it.

Just because someone shines brighter, seems stronger, or more confident, doesn't mean they're not struggling.

We need to stop judging and start asking questions.

What's your story?

How did you become the person you are today?

What struggles have you faced, and how have you overcome them?

It's easy to hate someone who thinks differently than we do.

It's easy to write them off as ignorant, or stupid, or evil.

But that's a mistake.

That's a failure of empathy, a failure of understanding.

It’s never okay to be hateful, just because you failed to understand something.

It's never okay to dehumanize someone, simply because their experiences and perspectives differ from yours.

We're all human beings, deserving of dignity and respect. We all have stories and struggles. And when we take the time to see each other, really see each other, we'll realize that we're all just human.

Then we'll see that the people we're so quick to judge are just as worthy of love, compassion, and understanding as we are.