Monthly Newsletter

I've Got Something to Say

​For a while, I wrote a weekly blog, then bi-weekly and monthly. I finally decided I’d only write when I had something to say. Well, today I do.
 
I was at the barbershop and my barber was wearing a dashiki. I thought it was a great way to show personal expression. But, one of the barbers had resistance to it. I was curious to know why, so I asked. His response was that he just didn’t like it. I wanted to know more, so I pressed a little. He finally said, “Isn’t it something that Muslims wear?” I said, “No. It’s a part of African heritage.” I was interested to know why it mattered if Muslims wore it, so I probed some more. He said, he didn’t want to be associated with Muslims. I respect his feelings. His words did strike me though.
 

How I've Changed 

​Over the last few years, my feelings about religion have changed. I still believe in God. I’ve just gotten rid of a lot of the religiosity that sometimes comes with those beliefs. I honestly think we are all seeking the same thing. We may even believe the same thing. We just call it something different.
 
What we’re all looking for is a connection to something greater than ourselves. Christians call that God or Christ. Muslims say Allah, which is nothing more than the Arabic word for God. Buddhists believe in a principle of universal love. Hindus have immense respect for all living things. When you look at these beliefs holistically, they just feel universally connected. But instead of these beliefs unifying us, they seem to divide us.
 
Why does it matter if we say God, Allah, Higher Power, Supreme Being, Christ, Spirit, Holy Spirit, Mother Nature, Mother Earth or Source? When what we really seem to want is connection, unconditional love, guidance, acceptance and support. 

I'm No Religious Authority!

​I’m not here to legislate religion. I’m no expert or authority on the subject. But I am an authority on me. Much like you are an authority on you. A part of being a human being is learning to “be human.”
 
I can’t think of anything more “human” than allowing other people to “be” who they are. Let people believe what they want to believe. Let them do what they want to do. Let them figure out who they are in their own time and space. If connection is a large part of what we seek in religion, why don’t we connect to what’s inside of us, so we can connect to each other outside.

Part of the Path

Life is full of twists, turns, ups and downs. It’s all part of the path. It’s built into the journey. What I'm suggesting is don’t close yourself off to new experiences, knowledge or people. There’s a whole world out there to learn about and so many people to learn from.
 
It’s all right to get to know other people and learn about their beliefs. It doesn’t make your personal beliefs any less true for you. What it does is open the door to conversation. Just simply talking to each other may help us see that we’re not so different after all. Differences separate us. Likes join us. Let’s focus on our likes. Not our differences.

​I know this post might not be popular. It wasn’t meant to be. I just had something to say. Now, I’ve said it. Please enjoy the rest of your day!

Until next time...

Coach Tarsh