There is a song by Passenger that I have loved since the first time I heard it because I feel the lyrics are so accurate. The first line pulled me in, and from there, the rest is history. “Sing! Sing at the top of your voice!  Love without fear in your heart and feel, feel like you still have a choice. If we all light up we can scare away the dark!” I mention this song frequently, so I decided to share the youtube video below.

I don’t know about you, but I’m tired. I feel a bit worn down by the divisiveness that appears to be driving a wedge between us at a time when we need each other more than ever. Bi-partisan b.s. continues to fill up both my news and social media feeds. People I’ve looked up to for years are sharing articles and links and spreading “news” without checking the facts. The Right is accusing the Left. The Left is accusing the Right. Friends and neighbors are shouting at each other from a safe social distance or over Facebook.

Disagreement is part of being human. There are as many opinions and perspectives as there are people. We all see things from a different viewpoint, which is excellent when we’re working on problem-solving teams. We can help others gain clarity on an issue by offering our point of view. But right now, in these times of uncertainty, I turn to the wisdom of Plato, who summed it up nicely when he said, “Opinion is the medium between knowledge and ignorance.” On any topic, there is only one truth.

We Can Do Better

As far back as I can remember, friends, family, and colleagues have labeled me an optimist, and I will admit that is true. But my optimism comes from witnessing human courage, even in the worst of times. When human beings get knocked down, they rarely stay down. Instead, they come back stronger than before. Together, we will rebuild our economy. Together, we will rebuild our world to be better than it was before because now we understand what a lousy trajectory we were on.  We will take better care of our bodies, minds, and spirits. We will take better care of our families and our relationships. We will buy our goods from small businesses in our towns. We will focus more on sustainability. I dream of a time where we agree to disagree and move on with love in our hearts. In the words of Passenger, “If we all light up, we can scare away the dark!”