Fourscore
and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent,
a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the
proposition that all men are created equal. - Abraham
Lincoln
We’d
like to extend a special “thank you” to all those
who participated in our mini-poll last week. We truly appreciate
your participation.
Last
week we stated that, as humans, we are ALL equal!
That means we ALL have the right to live our lives the way
we decide to, as long as we don’t violate the rights
and freedoms of someone else.
For
those who live in democratic countries, this right often is
the cornerstone of your country’s constitution. For example,
in Canada, our Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms state:
Fundamental
Freedoms:
Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms:
- freedom
of conscience and religion;
- freedom
of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom
of the press and other media of communication;
- freedom
of peaceful assembly; and
- freedom
of association.
Democratic
Rights:
Every citizen of Canada has the right to vote in an election
of members of the House of Commons or of a legislative assembly
and to be qualified for membership therein.
Because
of these rights, EVERY Canadian citizen has
the right to cast his or her vote during an election, and each
vote is counted as having a value of ONE. No person in Canada
has his or her vote counted as having a value of TWO or more.
Evidence, that as a Canadian, you ARE equal to every other
Canadian citizen.
This
type of equality is generally the case in other democratic
countries, as well.
For
those who live in non-democratic countries, you are equal to
everyone else, too. However, because of the personal agendas
of the rulers in your countries, your rights may be being denied
or oppressed. It’s not that you aren’t equal, it’s
that you aren’t being allowed to live equally.
The
truth is: ALL human beings ARE equal. No one is higher
or lower than another.
Sadly,
there are people who don’t believe this. For example,
from our mini-poll last week:
Question:
Do you believe you are equal to others?
Yes, I am: 62%
I think so: 17%
I’m not sure: 4%
I don’t think so: 13%
No, I’m inferior to others: 4%
It’s
reassuring to see that 62 percent of respondents know they
are equal, and 17 percent think they are equal.
Yet,
21 percent are either not sure, or DON’T believe they
are equal.
We
understand why some people feel less than others. For example,
some may have been negatively affected at an early age. Their
personal experience PROVES to them that they aren’t equal.
Overly critical parenting, being neglected or rejected as a
child, being abandoned (separated from a parent or parents),
having a parent involved with recreational drugs, being verbally,
physically, sexually, or emotionally abused are just some of
the factors that will cause these individuals to arrive at
the conclusion that they are “inferior” to others.
Unfortunately,
this is a FALSE-BELIEF (a belief that we BELIEVE to be true,
when in fact, it’s unhealthy and false).
If
you believe you are less than others, you are buying into
a lie.
Yes,
you may have evidence to support your false belief, but it’s
time to challenge that evidence in light of new evidence. And
NEW evidence is what we’re going to build over the next
number of weeks as we talk about HOW to live more assertively.
Again,
the first tip in living assertively is to know that YOU
ARE EQUAL, AND HAVE THE RIGHT TO LIVE YOUR LIFE THE WAY YOU
WANT, as long as you don’t violate the rights
and freedoms of someone else.
If
you do believe you are equal to others, you are ready to move
on. If you are not sure or don’t believe you are equal,
the proof will be in the pudding. As we move forward, we’re
confident that you’ll experience healthier evidence to
support that ALL humans are equal, including you.
Stay
tuned for the next TIP on how to live more assertively. See
you then.
NOTE:
There will be no tip next week due to the Remembrance Day holiday.
Have
a great couple of weeks. |
