More than Thoughts and Prayers.

     Thoughts and prayers are not the answer. Guns in the hands of 'good guys' are not the answer. Reform is the answer. Reform of education. Reform of infrastructure. Reform of communities. Reform of government.
      Thoughts and prayers do nothing. We are hoping for someone, something else to save us, but we need to take accountability for our own citizens, our own criminals, our own communities.
Law abiding citizens with firearms are no solution as long as our society is gripped by paranoia and prejudice, where some people can be profiled, pursued, attacked, and killed simply because they look or dress a certain way, and their deaths become their fault instead of those who wrongfully pulled the trigger.
      Instead of attacking the symptoms by arming the populace, instead of sewing up the wounds with positive thoughts and hopeful prayers, we need to eradicate the illness itself by removing the factors that lead people to senseless violence.
      This means providing for the poor and the broken who do not have enough to survive.
      This means caring for the mentally ill, from the outright 'crazies' to anyone who suffers even the slightest depression, letting them know that they are loved, that they are cared for, and that they are not alone.
      This means educating the proud, bringing them(and all of us, really) to look, truly look at ourselves and ensure that we do not judge others on anything other than their actions. That we do not fear or hate or cheat or marginalize or even glorify others just because they look different than we do.
      If you rebuild the community, provide resources and opportunities so people do not have to steal from or hurt or kill one another to survive, and then educate the people so they realize they have access to these resources and these opportunities, then you cut down on crimes that stem from desperation and ignorance.
      If you provide care and attention to the mentally unstable, help them to work through the issues that weigh upon them, abolish the stigma associated with their conditions, and educate them on proper interaction with others(which really goes for all people) then you cut down on crimes committed from faulty reasoning.
      If you acknowledge the true existence of discriminatory hate, and in doing so, reeducate those that harbor it, dismantle the institutions that support and further it, alter the organizations and outlets that advertise it, and in their place, present a true and unbiased depiction of people while extending good faith and the benefit of the doubt to all individuals until they prove themselves untrustworthy(innocent before proven guilty), then you cut down on crimes of hate or fear, both overt and covert.
      The problem will not resolve itself. Surrendering power to unsung heroes will not save us. We have to come together and recognize each other as equals, cast aside our preconceived notions and our judgments on the situations of others. We must pull together and help each other to save our country, our world, or else we're all doomed.

Taking Stock

It’s important every so often that we take a moment to consider our lives. In consideration, merely looking for what we want but do not have does not qualify. We must strive, yes, but we must also observe that which is much closer; that which is around us, and in our possession. Not having the things than we would like to have is no reason to lack gratitude for those things that we do have.
            This is not merely a discussion of possessions; in fact, quite the opposite. We have been encouraged in this technologically evolving world to seek the latest and greatest, and we gauge ourselves and others by what they own rather than who they are. Instead, we should consider the qualities we possess, the opportunities before us, and the people around us (and value them for their qualities, rather than their opportunities or their possessions).
            It’s important to recognize our good fortune when it comes, even if we are beset by failure and difficulty. This is not to say that we must disregard great hardship for the sake of any small kindness we receive, but rather that we should learn and grow from both as best we can. There will be hardship, and there will be easy times- kindness given and withheld. Although we should strive for a kinder world as a whole, there yet remains a lot of ugliness that must be surmounted to get there. For that reason, in those moments of peace and clarity, to take a breath, to rest, to simply smile- these are good things.
            In our effort to make the very most of every moment, the moment may be wasted. Sometimes, the best thing to do is nothing, because nothing is not necessarily nothing- just a departure from that which is traditionally considered important in today’s society. Our lives are made just as much in the moments in between as the ones when we are striving. Who we are includes our action(and inaction) at all times- what we do for ourselves, our friends and families, and the world.
            Those moments in between are important for both rest and reflection. We reflect on the good things that have come our way, and we recover our strength for the trying times that lie ahead. We make plans for the future, but we don’t abandon the present.

Patience and Assessment

            Patience is an attitude that can be brought to any situation. It's not what is done, but how it is done. Typically it is associated with waiting, but really applies to decisions, actions, and words. Patience essentially is timing and behavior. Patience allows us to give others the benefit of the doubt. It allows situations to develop. It allows us to observe. Essentially it makes room for us to avoid rushing into traps, literally and figuratively. When we are patient, we can see more than actions and events, but the reasons behind them. We can actually think about possibilities and outcomes. It can even protect us from things we are not aware of. If we are patient and being observed by someone who is judging our character (who is in a position that will affect us) they will think highly of us and offer us opportunities or assistance that might otherwise be unavailable.
            Patience can be thought of as an investment- good faith- when applied to others. Most people appreciate others who are patient with them- and more would if we all developed a spirit of patience over recklessness and rushing. When we give others time to fix their mistakes, to learn, and to improve, they hold us in higher esteem, and they are likely to return the favor. Furthermore, as they develop, we may benefit from the fruits of their labor. Reciprocation ties in here- patience is a kindness, and people tend to return kindness with kindness (and should be encouraged to do so)
            However, we need to recognize when patience is causing more harm than good. If we are patient in situations that require action, opportunities may pass us by, or we might find ourselves in danger or conflict. Others may lose patience with us, because they see things we do not, or because they miss things that we observe. We must carefully assess the situation. Furthermore, we must be able to determine if it is a matter of patience limiting us, or some other factor (fear, pride, anger, sorrow).
            To that end, we need to learn what to look for in our decision making processes. We must also recognize when we are about to make an emotional response and instead, pause to ask (and answer honestly) key questions- What's at stake? How severe are the ramifications? What is felt, and where is the source? If there is not enough information and the threat is not great, if we cannot determine what about our situations causes us distress, we must carefully wait and determine what we can before making decisive, irreversible decisions.

Communication, Cooperation, Integration

            No one can do everything. Contrary to the values we indulge in today, and the faulty perception that paints individuals as marvelous, all powerful beings who have surmounted all of their challenges alone, we are rather limited without one another. This is not to say that the individual is not powerful; however, when we come together and align our talents, we develop a different sort of power that otherwise lies untapped.

            Cooperation, and more thoroughly, integration, brings people to recognize they are not alone – in their beliefs or their needs – and from there, provides an opportunity to explore both. By cooperating with one another, we establish compromise for a greater good. By integrating our knowledge and our talents, we strive further for the things that we all need. As it stands, we already cooperate and integrate with one another; however, we are not necessarily aware of how our efforts stack up together, and to what ends they lead. As mentioned before with cause and effect, nothing (and no one) is isolated.

            By working together, not only do we achieve that which we seek, but we further develop our personal strengths, the ones we pooled for common ends. Growth on a personal and societal level then paves the way for further growth in both realms, and no shortage of quality of life. However, in situations where people cooperate for the wrong reasons or with the wrong information, in the wrong way, the opposite may occur. Mutually assured destruction may be triggered consciously or unconsciously.

            Ironically, the solution to cooperation that results in negative ends is simply communicating to ensure cooperation and integration is positive. Communication allows us to acknowledge the needs and problems that we have in common. Sometimes our problems are only problems because we don’t know someone has the answer. Sometimes in revealing our problems, we uncover solutions. Instead of adding fuel to the fire based on paranoid fears and ignorance, we can communicate, learn each other’s strengths and weaknesses, and work together to meet all of our needs. We as people need to cooperate for the right reasons (self-growth, community improvement, creation) rather than the wrong ones(public image, personal wealth, destruction). We need to communicate to ensure we understand ourselves and others, and they understand us.  We need to speculate how our talents and knowledge can strengthen and be strengthened by those of others, particularly by those quite ‘different’ than us.