Unlike much of this newspaper, life is not black and white.
So often, it is easy to jump in and react when reading something in the news or on social media.
But truth — unlike facts — is subjective and to truly understand a subject or situation, it takes an open mind and some thought. Often it takes time.
It could take digging into some history or backstory, or perhaps it takes looking at all the angles and consulting with someone with expertise. Maybe you have to read the reviews before you buy the big-ticket item.
Often there are nuances and complexities a person just coming into a situation will not immediately be able to grasp. History, past experience.
It is not always easy to hold back our impulse to react, especially given modern society’s desire for instant gratification and short attention spans as a result of sound bites and three-second video clips.
But we would do ourselves, our society and our Earth a great service by simply taking pause to be thoughtful. Even to simply pause long enough to examine our own biases.
Perhaps we all need to create space for light, for shades of grey, and for the full spectrum of colour.
This could be said for a range of situations — death, crime, and perhaps, especially, for politics.
Jumping in without asking questions can get us into trouble, in many areas of life. While we celebrate the passion which might produce excited responses, long-term strategic planning, and intelligent decisions are not usually a result of blind impulse.
This holiday season, let’s sit back, take time and appreciate all the vibrance and colour, and all the complexity. Make smarter choices in purchasing more thoughtfully, in speaking with both heart and mind, and how you spend the most precious gift of all — time.
If the answers to the world’s problems were obvious and easy, then there would surely be a lot less of them. To be a part of the solution, it is often more helpful to take even a small proactive step or ask the right question rather than simply shout into the abyss.
- Williams Lake Tribune
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