Respect has left the building
This past week we have seen two powerhouses leave the building.
Australian journalist Stan Grant, walking away from Q+A and his passion, after racist treatment. All while leading with love in his heart, despite the vitriol of hate he has endured.
Then we said goodbye to musical icon, domestic violence survivor and one of the leaders of the women’s empowerment movement Tina Turner, who passed away at the age of 83.
When we refer to someone as a powerhouse, they are a person of a thing of great energy, strength or power.
When we label someone as a powerhouse, why does it become a sport to pull them down?
I have been pondering this idea of the powerhouse people in our society, the ones who weave important fibres in our culture. The powerhouses who stand up for others and themselves.
The ones who speak up, use their voice to call out what is wrong with the world, but also come up with ideas on how to make it better.
The ones who actually are making a difference in their communities, families and homes, to make a better future.
The powerhouses are the ones who listen, who respect what others have to say, but they also know when enough is enough.
They have strength even when they are shaking. They fight for what matters; they fight for who they are too.
But amongst the powerhouses, trolls, realists’ haters, defenders, optimists and downright mean- when did we all get too big for our keyboards?
We are living in an era, where we must be outraged and offended. We have to have a comment on everything, whether it is meaningful or not.
What happened to the days where if we didn’t agree with an opinion or understand something, we kept it to ourselves, showed respect, moved on and tried to learn more?
Today our thought thinkers and powerhouses are being silenced, cancelled from their platforms, because we have forgotten to listen.
We are so good at talking, making our voice heard, we have forgotten that to have a powerful voice comes from the art of listening.
There is great strength and power in the art of listening, especially with our hearts.
When did showing respect become a relic of the past? How do we have important conversations if we don’t have respect?
We all deserve respect. Many don’t always receive it, while others have had to fight for it.
The powerhouse that was Tina Turner once said “At every moment, we always have a choice, even if it feels as if we don’t. Sometimes that choice may simply be to think a more positive thought.”
How relevant her words are right now.
We always have a choice on how we react, comment, share to the world and people.
We have a choice if we feed the beast or tame it.
We all have a choice. We can all be a powerhouse when the moment calls for it and decide to give energy, strength, and power, to build and rebuild.
I feel at times, we are busy tearing down each other, for no reason at all. We don’t always have to fill the void of silence with white noise. Days call for silence and reflection.
Now more than ever we are looking to our powerhouses, to guide us with their light, through the dark times.
Without these people or forgetting the memory of them, the world becomes are scarier and shakier place.
Be a builder. We need them. They will help us heal and bring stability.
To build is to use your mind and heart.
Big Love
Fallon