Have you ever heard someone call another person names? Spread rumors about them? Or just bashed them behind their backs? With the presidential elections getting closer and closer, all these negative images of the candidates have been spread all over the media. Trump bashes Clinton and vice versa. It feels like these days I see the spreading of negative information of people everywhere: in the news, in popular culture, and on social media, but it’s definitely the worst when it hits closer to home.

Nothing makes me angrier than when people harm the ones I love, either with their words or their actions. It amazes me that people could ever act so maliciously towards people who I view as amazing, kindhearted, caring, talented, special and overall generally good individuals. What gives someone the right to put the people I love down? Do they just not understand? Why can’t they see them the same way that I see them?

Recently, I was in a situation like this. Someone had said something that I found to be extremely unnecessary and rude towards one of my loved ones. I wondered why they couldn’t see this person for who they actually were and how could they put them down like that. I certainly would never do something like that; however, as I began thinking more and more about this, I realized that I too, am equally guilty of this. I have put others down before. I have done these same things and I have probably ended up hurting another individual because of this.

I understand that when we put others down that we do so because of our own insecurities and fears towards those who are different from us. This still is not an excuse. We should all strive to be better and lift others up, instead of tearing them down. With all the negativity and hate we see in our society today, it makes me believe that we need a reminder that everyone has the potential to be better than this.

One of the most important things that I have learned while growing up was the golden rule. “Do unto others as you would have them do to you” (Luke 6:31). Everyone deserves to be treated with kindness and respect. No one should be made to feel belittled, left out, unwanted, or hated. Even if we don’t like someone that much, we should still treat them in the same way that we would want to be treated. I know that this can be a difficult thing to do and I struggle with it a ton as well.

While there is so much hate out there in the world these days, I firmly believe that we can change that. We need to be able to put ourselves in others’ shoes. We have to stop and think before we decide to use our words or actions to hurt someone. How would we feel in their place? We need to remember that there is good inside of everyone. We should strive to seek it out and withhold our judgements, harmful actions, or destructive words. We should use our actions and words to build each other up. When we hear others start to talk negatively of others, we should stand up and defend them. Everyone deserves this.

To end this little piece, I’m going to leave you with one of my favorite proverbs on kindness. I am going to challenge us to embrace it, along with the golden rule. If we can put these to action in our daily lives, we can become better people and make the world a kinder place! We need more love in the world today and we can only do this if we take a stand against all the negativity and hatred! So without further ado, Proverbs 3:3!

“Don’t ever forget kindness and truth. Wear them like a necklace. Write them on the tablet of your heart.”