Dive into Diversity and Embrace Learning!

Diving into diversity can enrich your life in so many ways. When we learn how other individuals think and react to certain situations and remain open-minded to the opinions of others, our comprehension skills improve. We learn to approach situations in ways we may not have before if we were closed-minded or stuck in our ways. I read a book by Don Miguel Ruiz titled The Four Agreements a Practical Guide to Self-Freedom

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and he explains how our word is impeccable and how it is the strongest power we have because of its ability to influence our entire lives. He explains how we learn through repetition and how everything we know, believe, and do, has been taught down to the way we feel about ourselves. A podcast I listened to by two phycologists explained how nothing about us, is us. Everything we like, what we view as good or bad, our hobbies, our religion, and our beliefs have all been influenced by our loved ones, our peers, and by society. I mention this because as adults, no matter what we grew up learning or believing, we now have the opportunity and power to change. We have the free will to step outside of our comfort zones and our boxes and experience new people, places, and things. Experiencing diversity is a great way to learn about yourself and about the world.

How do you know your favorite dish on the planet is Chicken Tikka Masala unless you broaden your Horizons and get Indian takeout one day? How do you know you can dance to Banda, Corrido's, or Cumbia if you don’t explore different types of dances and music? Oakland gets a bad rep but what they don’t mention is how rich in diversity it is and, in my eyes, at least, that is a beautiful thing to be surrounded by. The number of things you can learn from others is endless. The types of things you can learn from people with different upbringings, different traditions, cultures, or beliefs are endless!

Racism is a touchy subject, but it is something that is learned. Behind racism is hate, or fear based on a lack of knowledge. Things and people that we don’t understand often make us uncomfortable. We often label other cultures' rituals as taboos, even outrageous or unorthodox because they are different from our own. In other countries when someone dies, they leave the body in the house and treat it as if it were alive until the funeral arrangements are prepared and that could take years. Some may see this as disturbing but before passing judgment on someone else’s rituals, traditions, or beliefs, consider asking them who, what, when, where, why, and how. You may find that they have great respect for spirituality or for their elders. Another example is the stereotype that black women are ghetto or loud but on the contrary, it takes someone with a heart free from hate to see that black women are just strong, assertive, passionate, bold, and confident the way all women should aspire to be. The whole point is, if you are fortunate enough to grow up embracing diversity and staying open-minded to learning about different cultures and backgrounds, it is a chance to gain knowledge and knowledge is power.

I have always heard that if you want to get to know yourself, travel alone. When I think about this piece of advice and why this is, the first thing that comes to mind is when you travel, you learn about different cultures, different languages, foods, music, traditions, religions, rituals, and so on. In learning about these things, you learn about yourself. How awesome are the places where you don’t have to travel on a plane to experience Mexican food, oriental markets, Indian restaurants, and across-the-street authentic soul food? The cities where different cultures are celebrated with festivals or parades, with streets decorated with individuality and pride. Embrace different, embrace diversity, and embrace learning because nothing bad can ever come from learning, and as always in a world where you can be anything, be kind!