“We’re here to connect. Love, time, death. Now these three things connect every single human being on earth. We long for love, we wish we had more time and we fear death.”
Howard Inlet (Will Smith), Collateral Beauty
Beyond the Quote (325/365)
If I take a piece of paper and I draw a line down the center of it, you might say that it’s divided. You might say there is a left side and a right side. But, a simple line doesn’t change the fact that the sides are still part of the paper. They are not suddenly separate entities unto themselves—they are still a part of a whole. If I rip the paper down that line, you might say that the paper is now divided for sure. But, even if you were to rip the paper 1,000 times, each piece is still united in its essence—that it’s paper. From one perspective, division; from the other perspective, unity—even in the face of division.
That which separates us also unites us. Prisoners inside of a prison are each separated by walls and bars and chains from the others—yet, they are all prisoners of the same prison. People within a territory are usually separated by beliefs—yet, they are still part of the same territory. Lovers in a relationship may be separated by distance—yet, their love may remain just as strong no matter how far apart they are. As a result of COVID-19, we are quarantining, isolated from others, are all being separated by at least six feet, and being told to mask up to prevent the spread. Yet, we are all united through each of these very separations—in our defense against COVID.
It is only when we forget our unity—when we see only our divisions—that we lose our strength. We are always stronger together than we are apart. And the only time we are apart is when we believe we are apart—when we choose to see the separations rather than the connections. The case can be made in just about any situation that no matter how “separated” you might feel or be, there is still something that unites you to others. The key is to find those uniting points and connect yourself to them.
For, it is only when you connect yourself to what unites you that you may elevate yourself to higher perspectives and find your greater strength. So long as you continue to see only divisions is so as long as you will continue to live inside of a prison cell of your own making. If you wanted to, you could draw dividing lines throughout the world over and over and over again until every person was walled up unto themself. That would be too much work though, as there are billions of people. What many people will do, however, is draw dividing lines up over and over and over again until they are walled up unto themself—until it’s them vs. the rest of the world.
But, you are not an island. You are not alone in your struggles. You are not a prisoner. You are not so divided from the rest of the world that there is nothing that could possibly unite you to others. You are simply sitting in the middle of an ocean of connection with your eyes closed—blind to it all—by choice. Even the fact that you feel alone and cut off from others is a unifying point—one that is widely shared by countless others! But, you won’t see that until you open your eyes. Until you lower your walls. Until you try and connect with the people around you. And yes, you have to connect with them—the other way around doesn’t work.
And let’s go back to that idea of walls creating “us versus them” situations—who said walls have to create competition at all? Why “versus?” Why not just look at and celebrate the “us?” For isn’t that what any group of people is? A division from the rest that puts certain people together? And isn’t that what we’re all really in search of? Our people. People who we can relate to and who can relate to us. People who we understand and who understands us. People who we can be our true selves around and not have to put on a front for. I feel like that is precisely what most all of us are seeking. But, sitting in a self-made prison cell with eyes closed doesn’t help. You have to seek. You have to initiate. You have to see the unity in the divisions. And you have to drop the “versus” and focus on the “us.” It’s there. For all of us.
Read Next: 27 Deep Quotes on Unity, Interconnectedness, and How We Are One
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