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200 words, community, compassion, courage, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, Purpose
We must learn to live together as brothers, or perish together as fools ~ Martin Luther King Jr.
As someone who generates a ton of ideas a minute, I can understand the high one feels when their idea is chosen and implemented.
As someone who believes in collaboration and using the gifts of people around the table, I can also understand the high of grabbing onto someone else’s great idea and running with it.
So what is it about us humans that puts us at odds when we disagree about one thing, even when we hold so many other things in common?
Why is it so important to be right?
Why is it so often, “… my way or the highway?”
What prevents us from engaging at a point where we agree and moving forward from there?
Why can’t we see the gifts in diversity?
If we want peace, we need to stop seeing the things that make us different.
If we want to prosper, we need to stop eying each other suspiciously.
My brother, my sister, my mother, my father, my son and my daughter.
It’s time we see each other as family.
~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~
talktodiana 
Diana this is a beautiful message and I think it all begins with the messages we receive at home. My father taught us to respect and appreciate different cultures, languages and religions. He was passionate about treating every human with compassion and love. I am so thankful for that.
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What a great legacy he left for you Kath!
Diana xo
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I believe it’s an extremely common disease we all have to have some extent called LACK! If I let you have your idea, I DON’T have mine. If I let you feel right, I feel WRONG. It’s this zero sum game that’s killing all sorts of creativity the world over.
This is why all change needs to start from within each of us. We can’t teach people that; we only have to remove the insecurity & lack that’s getting in the way of allowing our creativity to flow.
We can’t always have the lead role, and we need to embrace that supportive roles are just as important – an important lesson many of us skip over.
Nothing beats a cohesive group effort – here’s to more of that! 🙂
~ Andrea ❤
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Thanks so much for sharing your insightful thoughts Andrea – well said!
Diana xo
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Maya Angelou said, “We are more alike than different.” When we really take time to listen to each other, we do discover how much we have in common. Thanks for the reminder, Diana. 😉
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My pleasure Judy! Love Maya Angelou. ❤
Diana xo
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I love, love, LOVE this, Diana! Amen, sister! ❤
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Thank you Rachel! ❤
Diana xo
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Thanks Diana, I needed this today. 🙂
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My pleasure Jim – glad it spoke to you. 🙂
Diana xo
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The thought-provoking questions in this post really make me think about the important role that collaboration plays.
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It sure is an important role – thanks Sheryl!
Diana xo
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Too often people are different that us and want them to be the same as us, to think like us, and that creates so much angst. If only we accepted their differences.
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Yes Elizabeth, the very thing we want for ourselves; to be accepted and understood and in turn to try to understand others. ❤
Diana xo
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But what if you don’t get along with your family?!
There is being right for ego’s sake and being right for truth’s sake. There are domains where being right is important: flying airplanes, doing surgery or accounting, building bridges. The cost of getting those things wrong is high.
The thinking necessary to be right “on the job” bleeds into other areas of our lives where truth can be a matter of perspective and there is no single right answer. It can be hard to switch gears, and some people genuinely believe there is one right answer to every question.
Like: What’s the square root of 4?
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2.
I hear what you’re saying Smitty and you have given great examples of issues where there are only one right answer or one way to get there.
We humans tend to get all bent out of shape in relation to the questions that are less straight forward like:
How do we get our teams to work together for a common goal?
What does freedom mean to you?
Which issues do we need to assess and solve to bring about our goal?
Who is the best person to take on this project?
What will be a motivating factor to create a sense of urgency and build a case for support?
And, one of my faves, What is the end goal, what does it feel like and are we in agreement on it?
Diana xo
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-2 is also a correct answer, and it just goes to show how complicated life must be if a simple math equation has two completely correct answers.
I think that last question is where many efforts break down. People don’t have the same goals!
(The freedom one is easy: “Freedom’s just another word for ‘nothing left to lose’.” 😀 )
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This comment makes me smile Smitty!
A little something for you:
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Her version of that is just awesome! One of my all-time favorites!!
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I love Janis!
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Amen!
❤
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Thank you so very much Diana! I am amazed and delighted that you keep finding such inspiring quotations.
And then you elaborate, making something said at another time and place, wonderfully relevant.
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Thanks Janet – you made my day!
Diana xo
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And like that, why do we always want to know whose fault something is? Who is to blame is not important most of the time. Whatever the problem is, why don’t we start by addressing the it instead of wasting time and energy trying to figure out who is at fault? Usually, assigning blame does not lead to peace and harmony.
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That’s so true Janet! Although if it’s my fault, I want to learn from it, so I don’t repeat the same mistake in the future…. ❤
Diana xo
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Love this post. So simply put for a big issue. You get it, I get it, many of your blog followers get it, how hard is it? If only there were more Diana’s in the world and less “the other types”.
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Oh I’m not sure the world needs more Dianas but thank you for thinking so! ❤
Diana xo
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Yes, I agree Diana. 🙂 But sometimes I am right and I know it. 🙂
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haha I bet you are Mark!
I guess it’s all about how that is communicated or if there are ‘other’ right answers.
I guess I like to keep the end in mind and the realization that there may be more than one road to the final destination. What’s that saying? There’s more than one way to skin a cat… yes a gross saying, but you know what I mean?
Diana xo
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I know what you are getting at. I will not be stubborn about my way or the highway, promise. 🙂
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Oh come on Mark, I wanted to fight about it! 😉
Diana 😀
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❤
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Are you implying… I’m not always right ? That can’t be 🙂
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Ha! I would never imply that Bill! 😉
Diana xo
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I know some people always like to be right and can’t handle it when they are wrong, I know I like to be right but I can deal when I am not right and I am willing to admit I was wrong when I am wrong but yes it can take me a while to admit I was wrong as I do not like being wrong…………….I am human after all
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No one likes to be wrong Jo-anne, but I admire those, like you, who can admit when they are. ❤
Diana xo
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Okay, been mulling…
About the Ancient drives – the basic NEED for food, shelter and procreation…
I’m thinking that may be part of the reason it’s SO difficult to do the things that we know (deep down) that we should – because of this ingrained force where we are driven to take care of our selves and family first. It is always there and, in order to “do the right thing” some of us keep pushing it back, just below the surface of consciousness – and some of us don’t…
No one ever said that it would always be easy to do the right thing… But we always have the choice.
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A great point Deb!
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Wise words, Diana. How goes the other quoted saying, “I may not believe the same things you do, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” 😉
Jennifer xo
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Love that Jennifer!
Diana xo
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Ah, that annoying Ego is always in the way!! and so I guess we accept we all have it and keep moving beyond that layer and see that beautiful soul within each other. Great post and reminder Thankyou Diana.
Karen
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My pleasure Karen and thank you! ❤
Diana xo
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Awesome topic Diana! Where to start!
First I think we cling to “me” and “mine” because we long to have significance in our world, forgetting that we were born significant.
We fear that we qre different than others, rather than celebrating our uniqueness.
We respond to these fears by maintaining a separation from others, rather than connecting to combine our gifts.
Sigh. We are complex creatures! There’s both a lightness and a darkness to that.
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Your first statement is beautiful and speaks to my heart Ian. The rest is good too! 🙂
Diana xo
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AMEN, Diana!
Pax vobiscum, my Sister: )
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And peace be with you Deb! ❤
Diana xo
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Diana,
A great point you bring up. I believe this inabiltiy to consider another’s point of view rises from the fear of losing control; for those who put their trust in the random egos of men and women; rather than in the One, without who’s being, this conflict of interests would not even exist.
-Alan
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Ahh control, what a crock of goobley gock that is, eh Alan? Thank you for sharing your insightful perspective.
Diana xo
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I hear your Diana!
When our thinking gets stuck in the “me”, “I” and “mine” we forget the “we” part – our common ground and connection…..
like family …. without the dysfunction 😉
Val x
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haha Val, hey I’d even put up with a bit of family dysfunction if it meant we saw each other as we instead of me and you, us and them…
Diana xo
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Yep 🙂
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