#4- Finding similarities among differences

For many people, there are certain things in life that define who they
are for years to come. For me, it was my worldwide travels. I saw many
cultures and learned a few languages, but what I really got out of it
was something much bigger than what I had imagined, something that
defines who I am today.

To this day, I've lived in 4 continents, gone to over 10 schools, and
visited over 20 countries; all this before I hit my 21st birthday. The
experience I got was second-to-none; I've been in deserts, I've
traveled through rainforest, and I've experienced countless cultures.
Nevertheless, there was a much bigger takeaway and here's what it was:

In our world today, we are so quick to find the differences in others:
he smells bad, she speaks funny, he can't pronounce words right, she
wears weird clothing. Sitting on the bus, subway, or anywhere in
public, we find ourselves uncomfortably examining other people. For
example, we notice their tattoos, their loud, colorful shoes, their
strange accents and their messy hair. Anything that the person has or
does that we would never do or wear, we frown upon. But have you ever
tried sitting on that bus, or anywhere in public and look instead for
the things that make you two similar?

A lot of us think that we have nothing in common with other cultures
or nationalities. Whether they are Hispanics, Arabs, or Asians, we
pull ourselves apart without ever really knowing who they truly are.
All it takes is just looking for the similarities among the
differences. You may notice that the lady who isn't pronouncing words
correctly has a 2-year-old son just like you, or that the girl dressed
in a way that you would never dress seems to like hot pink, just like
you. These may just be little things, but when you start looking for
similarities, you see the world in a different light; a more positive
one where everyone is united instead of being separated into
categories of outcasts.

We should appreciate the things that make us all different, but also
realize that we all have a lot more in common that we think. We are
all teenagers, mothers, girlfriends or sons just going through the
same types of struggles that one goes through at different phases of
our lives. We are all going through image issues when we're 14, trying
to live up to our parent's standards when we're going to college, and
making sure we have a way to feed our kids when we are mothers and
fathers. That's the huge lesson I learned from my all my years of
traveling and one that I will always take with me. Try it the next
time you are out. Trust me, it will make this world seem like a much
friendlier place. :)

With all my love,
Hennely