The most common example of coexistence that we see is religious tolerance. Although religious tolerance is a great start, coexistence goes far beyond this. We judge on gender, skin color, sexuality, and so much more. Many people have an idea of what a ‘normal’ person is, but with over seven billion people in the world, these definitions vary greatly. Sure, you can devote your life to spreading your beliefs on others, but you’re not going to change everyone.

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The root of this problem is too many people look at life as a job rather than a gift. Grow up, go to school, get a good job, get married, have kids, etc., that’s how life is suppose to go, we’re told. And if you don’t follow this agenda, you’re an outcast. Every single day we see war and riots over religion, race, and sexuality. Children are being slaughtered based on religion; children are being raised knowing they are racially targeted. Is this really what we want for our world? The bottom line is it doesn’t matter what other people do, you have your own life and they have theirs. Many people feel as if they can’t be themselves, they have to hide their entire lives, what kind of life is that? Because society tells us that being a homosexual is a mental illness that means they are less than human than a straight person is? It’s ironic how society will make you feel belittled for being gay, yet once your hidden identity eats you alive, then everyone will see how beautiful you were, of course when it’s too late.

Coexistence is empowerment and acceptance; this does not mean you have to completely agree with others' life choices. As a society, we have two choices; we can keep these barriers separating us and judge each other by afar, or we can change the world. We can educate each other about our differences and help embrace the diverse beauty that everyone has. For so long society has dictated what beauty looks like, or how much money makes someone successful. We criticize these thoughts yet at the same time, we follow it because that’s what we believe is the ‘normal’ thing to do.

What baffles me the most is the hate that comes from political differences. Everyone has some opinion on politics, but we’re fortunate enough to be able to freely express our thoughts. This is something we often take for granted because a lot of people don’t have this right. But it seems like this election has led to hateful comments, vandalism, and violence. When it comes to politics, there are no right answers, only opinions. So because some people have different opinions, they’re idiots? Or deserved their property damaged? I’m sure 99% of people have some complaint about the government, but if we remain narrow-minded and are unwilling to accept or even listen to others' ideologies, how can we possibly expect anything to change?

Coexistence doesn’t mean you have to like everyone, it just means you shouldn’t dislike someone based on their appearance or background. Humans have been on this planet for thousands of years, we have to see that life is such a simple process; we’re the ones who make it complicated for ourselves. We are where we came from; we’re our religion, our beliefs and morals, our hobbies, and no one should be ashamed of who they are, or be fearful of what others think of them.

Coexistence doesn’t just stop at the human race. There are millions of species sharing the planet with us; this earth wasn’t made just for us. We’re quick to say we're the superior species because we believe we are the smartest. Our determination for the most intelligent species has a direct relationship with who tears the earth apart the most. The saddest part is we don’t see the suffering we cause. When we need to drive our nice cars to impress people we don’t know, we cannot see the burning fossil fuels that are melting glaciers leaving polar bears starving while losing their homes. While we are mass-producing goods, we are polluting the earth. Of course this doesn’t affect a first world country too much, but countries like Thailand and Mongolia cannot keep up with their agriculture demands. So because we want a new cell phone or computer, this is worth damaging others?

Coexistence is sharing the earth. Coexistence is educating yourself by traveling and intermingling with other cultures. Imagine the world we could live in if we focus on each other’s well being instead of money and other self-interests. Imagine the world we could live in if no one was fearful to be themselves, and even more important, to love themselves. Everyone’s life has equal value, regardless of your religion, sexuality, skin color, or gender.

Coexistence isn’t hard. Coexistence is stepping out of your comfort zone and gaining new experiences. Imagine the beauty if we could see everyone as people, rather than their skin color or background. We’re writing history everyday, and we can let future generations read about our many divides in humanity. Or we can be the generation that turns everything around. We can be the generation of acceptance. We can be the generation that saves the world.