Writing this article has made me realize that I was wrong when I thought that I had found my purpose in life and knew everything about myself. I hope that reading that allows others to explore their own lives and ask why they believe in what they believe in, and recognize if that is what they want to choose to believe forever.
This was the problem...
I have always been one to hate confrontation and have tried to avoid it at all cost. It has come to the point to where I have been keeping my mouth shut to avoid saying the "wrong" thing. At first, I did this out of fear of getting into arguments and making enemies. Now, it has become more of an ignorance towards the issues of the world. At first I thought that I was doing the right thing by not watching the news or following controversial accounts on social media to protect myself from the negativity of the world. It worked for a while, but I have since then realized that it has only created a false sense of reality for me.
This is what I've learned about myself...
I personally have not been a victim of racism or gender discrimination, that I am aware of at least. Therefore, I cannot possibly understand how it feels for those people on the news or maybe even in my neighborhood what it feels like to work hard and still not be good enough, because of something that you cannot change. I have always been told that if I work hard enough and fight for what I want, there is no reason why I shouldn't have it. Fortunately, I am an extremely hard-worker who has been placed in an environment where this is true. I have failed to realize that others in the same position as I am still struggle for their basic rights simply because of their environment. I also have come to realize that since working hard has always brought about good results for me, I stopped trying to help our world out of the belief that I will never be able to change it.
I know it will not be easy...
I have been very close-minded for so long that it will be hard to change and speak up for those who otherwise can't themselves. I chose to ignore the issues in hopes that others would fix it and it would just disappear. It may take time, but talking about controversial issues allows people to express their opinions and even thoughts on how to help. I realize that I may not be able to change our world alone, but I do believe that there is always a reason to try and accept help from others as well. I apologize to those who I have not spoken up for, and to those whose opinion I have chosen to overlook or ignore. I do hope that with time and constant hope that we can all open our eyes, hearts, and minds to ideas that we would have never considered.
