Sparkle as only you can

Day 18

The sun is shining bright today, making the front yard look like a fairy wonderland. It’s a welcome sight after so much gloomy weather. The cold is tolerable when it’s beautiful outside.

This was my first thought as I prepared to write.

Then I got lost in Facebook. One thing always leads to another, and I found a short video on Goalcast about Lady Gaga, focusing on how she believed in her dreams, pushed forward and achieved what she knew was possible: the best version of herself.

It also talked about how she was bullied as a child and teen.

This made me unbelievably angry. I started thinking about how our culture is based on meanness and cutthroat competition, setting up winners and losers and making it possible to achieve only at the expense of others.

We talk about the importance of collaboration, but that is not being modeled, especially not now at this point in history. Too many bosses are bullies; too many people who are bullied become bullies themselves.

It’s not enough to win. For some there had to be the added factors of shame and humiliation. This isn’t strength. Doing this to others is a sign of supreme weakness masquerading as power.

“We can’t all be winners,” some say. Why not??? We can all win at something. We can all shine in our own way.

My friend, Amy, is always about kindness, and I think she’s right. Simply being kind is a start. It would make so much difference.

Let’s start asking ourselves before we speak, before we act: What is the kindest thing we can say here? What is the kindest thing we can do?

Even the hard stuff can be done kindly.