Something that has really been bugging me lately is the question of, “Why do people bully others?” As a person walking a college campus every single day, it is apparent that bullying doesn’t stop after high school it is a fact of life but is it a fact that we should be okay with?
According to research, 1 in 2 people experiences bullying at some point in their life before their 20th birthday. Research also shows that a majority of people hurting others have experienced a negative experience in the last five years, such as their parents divorcing or the loss of a family member. At the core, research has proven that people are mean to others to make themselves feel or look better.
I have always loved the movie Coach Carter and one of the themes that many people don’t understand after they have watched it once that Coach Carter doesn’t stand for bullying. One of the players that had many troubles throughout the whole movie would lash out and talk down to his fellow teammates. Coach Carter kept asking the player, “What are you afraid of?” The player didn’t understand the meaning behind the question until the very end of the movie when he quoted the poem by Marianne Williamson, “Our Deepest Fear”.
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness
That most frightens us.
We ask ourselves
Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small
Does not serve the world.
There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking
So that other people won’t feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine,
As children do.
We were born to make manifest
The glory of God that is within us.
It’s not just in some of us;
It’s in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine,
We unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we’re liberated from our own fear,
Our presence automatically liberates others.
This poem is one that I absolutely love., the first two lines alone are Earth shattering. “Our deepest fear is that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.” Those lines describe I think how everyone feels. There are people all around the world afraid of branching out, daring to be different, chasing their dreams all because someone might tell them that they aren’t enough. The power that your words have over others is significant. Your tongue is like a sword and it only takes a couple words from it to cut someone to the core. We were meant to carry out God’s work through our actions and the gifts that he has blessed us with, so what good are you doing if you are discouraging someone that is pursuing what they feel is God’s plan for their life?
I encourage everyone to really evaluate what you are saying to the person embarking on a new journey. Encourage people even if you are not able to see the value in the goal that they do. It is okay to be different. It is okay to branch out. It is okay to be the Thomas Edison that creates the first light bulb. If no one ever thought differently than one another then we wouldn’t have the lightbulb, the internet, the telephone, and so many more things that we take for granted each and every day.
If you’re the person that likes to tear people down to make yourself feel good, I pray for you. I pray that you find whatever it is you are searching for, whatever you are missing in your life. I pray that the Lord humbles you and uses you as an example to others. I pray that one day you are enlightened to the way that your words hurt and honestly I pray for your heart.
For everyone else, remember that a couple positive words go a long way.
xoxo,
Lex
