The Beauty of the Human Spirit.

“The dignity and beauty of man rests in the human spirit which makes him more than simply a physical being.  This spirit must never be suppressed for exploitation by others.  As long as the people recognize the beauty of their human spirits and move against suppression and exploitation, they will be carrying out one of the most beautiful ideas of all time.  Because the human whole is much greater than the sum of its parts.” – Huey P. Newton

     About three weeks ago I received the nicest email from a friend I used to work with.  We don’t socialize that often, but the letter was genuine, full of compliments, totally unexpected, and absolutely needed.  The email came on a day I was feeling down and un-motivated. 

     After receiving such a nice email I thought to myself, “When was the last time I wrote a nice email to someone just to say, 'Hello and I think you’re great'"?  People online seem more concerned to make their point rather than have a discussion, seek revenge rather than forgiveness, take offence rather than embrace humility, place judgment rather than feel empathy for another. 

     I felt humbled, happy, motivated, and relieved after reading the note from my friend.  I’ve decided I’m going to try and be more aware of how people are influencing me but focus on the positive influences.  I took time to get rid of negative influences out of my life; now it’s time to focus on the positive and recognizing the beauty of the human spirit:  I’m going to be more like my friend and tell people how grateful I am for their positive influence in my life.  

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