"Just love and understanding, positivity."

Above is a lyric from Ed Sheeran's new song, What Do I Know. I first heard it last Friday and I immediately fell in love. Not only is it by one of my favorite artists, but it states everything that I strongly believe in. Ever since I was young, I never understood why there was so much hatred in our world. Being a naive child, it would make me upset or confused when I witnessed a person being judgmental or acting on hate. Even now, not much has changed in my understanding of it all.

There are so many people in the world that take pride in putting people down. Bullies aren't just on the playground, or the mean kids in middle school that used to make fun of your backpack. They're everywhere. They're the people who make fun of you online, who gossip about you behind your back. But most importantly, they're the people who believe that they are superior. They believe that because of their color, gender, etc, they are "better." When in reality, that type of thinking makes them lesser of a person.

"My daddy told me, 'Son, don't you get involved in

Politics, religions, other people's quarrels."

Let me break it down for you, we are all exactly the same. Sometimes I think that people forget that. Despite your color and sexuality, we are literally all humans. Instead of tearing other people down for being different, we should be praising them for having the courage to do so. More than half of the people who point their hatred at minorities would never be able to be as honest and open with themselves as they are.

And despite all that, there are people who honestly believe that they are better. And what I say to that is, keep it to yourself. If you have nothing positive to say, don't say it. There's no reason to put your (negative) input on someone's beliefs, among many other things.

"The revolution's coming, it's a minute away. I saw people marching in the streets today.You know we are made up of love and hate. But both of them are balanced on a razor blade."

We live in a society fueled by hatred. The worst aspects of our world have slowly come out. I've witnessed that racism and negativity that scared me so many years ago. However, I will ALWAYS believe that we are progressing. As a nation, we are all becoming more accepting, and we see that everyday. While we face setbacks, the world is always moving forward. There will come a day when everyone is accepted, and everyone will be seen as equals.

"I'm all for people following their dreams. Just re-remember life is more than fittin' in your jeans."

Body shaming is still a real, serious problem. Either someone is too skinny, or too overweight. Regardless, they are labeled as unhealthy. There is no happy medium. Coming from someone who has struggled with their looks for a long time, it's not a happy road to go down.

I have experienced both sides of the spectrum, being called "too big", and also being labeled "too thin" when I said I was unhappy with myself and wanted to lose weight. Thigh gaps, flat stomachs, thick thighs, big butts. We're, once again, all the same. Just made a little differently. We will never really be completely content with ourselves, no matter how hard we try. So why don't we all try to be a little more accepting?

"You know, the future's in the hands of you and me.
So let's all get together, we can all be free."

What I've been trying to say here, in this jumbled mess of ideas, is that it's just as easy to love as it is to hate. I look online and see things happening in the world and the repercussions they have. And it really breaks my heart. I've been lucky enough in life to not be targeted for a specific hate such as racism or homophobia, but people I surround myself with and love have. And watching it happen deeply hurts me.

I'm not intending for this to be a political article, it's a call to help maybe just a few people act more on the kindness in their hearts. No one is born racist or homophobic. It's something that negative people feed into you. No matter what you believe in or choose to stand up for in life, there is no reason to try and insult people who differ from you.

We are all the future. We can start change NOW. If you believe in something, fight for it. If you are passionate about something, pursue it. We're all here for a reason, and we should all raise each other up. If everyone supported one another, there would be no room for hate. If we helped each other and didn't tear one another down, we would all be successful.

Also, just smiling at someone, or complimenting their hair, can DRASTICALLY change their day from horrible to okay. The little things in life count a lot. Try and make someone smile. Everyone has bad days. Happiness is a chain reaction, and you can be the one to start it. It's time to stop hating, and start loving.

"Love can change the world in a moment,
But what do I know?"

In conclusion, I'm proud to be a positive person. I'm proud that, despite what is going on around me, I can look at the happier things in life. Where I see hatred, I can try and change it to love. Where I see sorrow, I can try and change it to happiness. I may continuously hear that I'm "too peppy" or unrealistic, but I'm content with that. I do really believe that we are moving forward. And I cannot wait until we can all live in harmony an co-exist happily.

Dare I say it, love trumps hate.