In our everyday life we have the strong habit to notice and judge others based on differences. It may be gender, age, skin color, ethnicity, country of origin, language and accent, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, education, clothing, hair style, neighborhood, and on and on. We construct boundaries. Boundaries become walls. Walls become exclusions. Exclusions are based on fear of the unknown. Protection becomes the norm. We create a world of “us” and “them.” We are very good at doing this, at boxing people into categories, building walls, and creating a world of “us” and “them.” This rigid, fixed, solid, and unchangeable way of thinking about others creates fear and leads to violence. Yet on a deeper level we are all the same. All of us want to be happy and not to suffer. This same deeper wish is shared by all humanity and even the animals. We all want to be well. Every time we meet someone, think, “just like me she / he wants to be happy and not hurt.” With this attitude we become closer to others, all others. Walls come down, as fear diminishes. Closeness leads naturally to more respect and trust, fueling more love and compassion. We identify as one human family including animals, all looking for the same thing — happiness.
