Can we talk about things we agree on, please?

Is everyone feeling the love right now? It certainly doesn’t seem like it. This is one of the first times in my life where I feel like people are running out of humor. Between the news and the world and the election cycle — and gas prices and milk prices and healthcare prices — everything feels so draining and divisive and void of cheer. Mean-spiritedness has become the humor of our day. Even the ratings are down for late show hosts. I guess nobody has the energy to laugh.

So, if everything feels a little uncomfortable and humorless, you’re not alone.

The national dialogue is extreme right now, so today, I want to talk about things we have in common. Let’s stop emphasizing our differences — and instead, focus on our similarities. 

Let’s remember the things that unite us all!

• Love for family.
• Good conversations.
• Laughter. 
• Good food!
• The sun rising every day. 
• Pets, animals and nature.
• Netflix! 🙂
• The joy in doing meaningful work, moving our bodies, or taking a hot shower.

What can you add?

In the year ahead, let’s do the work to be united, instead of divided. Here are my suggestions:

1. Learn to truly love yourself. When we look in, we can discover a lot. We can discover a feeling of connection — with ourselves, with nature, with purpose, with meaning, and with each other. If we think about why and how we are here, we may see that we are all the same, and that our “differences” are simply a creative part of the beauty of life.
2. Resist the urge to disconnect. Ego loves to disconnect from others, from meaning, from accountability. We compensate. We operate based on fear. We build a bigger tower. We find a way to get power. Seeing our connectedness relieves us of the burden of isolation, and it allows us to see the beauty in others. After all, we can’t love our neighbors if we don’t love ourselves.
3. Do work that moves you. Meaningful work is part of the answer. Maybe that means pursuing a creative career.
4. Let your inner creativity come to life. The white page stares at you. You will feel good at being able to fill it. Write a song. Create a remarkable spreadsheet. Paint something. And see the new possibilities that unfold everywhere.
5. Be generous. With a smile. With grace. With money. Or with time. Because your gesture doesn’t just make the world better — it also makes you feel great.
6. Communicate more thoughtfully and compassionately. Sometimes, thoughts in our minds aren’t even true. We don’t always need to say them out loud. Before we speak, let’s consider: Is this even true — or is it coming from a place of fear or hurt? Would I like it if someone said this to me? How can I say this with more kindness?

Despite an overall lack of humor, as we march into another year, there is a lot to be grateful for:

I’m grateful I’m alive, surrounded by friends, family, and colleagues who support me in doing meaningful work.

I’m grateful the future can be bright.

I’m grateful love can prevail.

Let’s talk about the things we have in common. And I bet we’ll find even more things to be grateful for.