All you need is love (da da-da da-da)

Lovingkindness is all we need. You don't really have to feel love for everyone. But, we need to try to treat everyone with lovingkindness. It's something I was taught by my parents and that I hear taught in church.

People are keeping the bullying ball in the air, having talks, publishing articles and making videos to remind us that kids are being bullied and it's a terrible thing. I wish they would look at adult bullying too, and the causes of it. It's really no surprise that some kids are bullies when they see it working for lots of powerful grown-ups, and that some kids are silent victims because they see that even in the world of grown-ups there are rarely any consequences for bullies, only more punishment for victims.

Sometimes I think that if everyone would just listen to a few pieces of music, it would all be better. Listen to the Beatles sing their words of wisdom, Let it Be and All You Need is Love.

Sometimes I think that if everyone could volunteer in a school at lunchtime for a while, they'd see that all the kids are lovable.

Sometimes I think that if everyone would have a chance to work in an ESL class in Toronto, it would all be better. They would see that other people are really okay, more than okay, lovable.

I just read this article about otherizing, (Otherizing by Mirabai Starr, Huffington Post, June 8, 2013) having clicked a link from Facebook. The concept of otherizing is powerful. Here's what the author says:

"The illusion of separation is what causes violence and oppression. The minute we identify an individual or a group as being the Other, we banish ourselves to a spiritual wasteland and justify treating someone else with anything less than lovingkindness."

We have to get this message across. Everyone deserves lovingkindness. Justify that. Too many people who should be sharing this loving message are too busy righteously otherizing and righteously justifying their unkindness (and worse) instead. Many of them are loud and powerful. Try not to join them. We need to be louder than the bullies.

There are lots of people making beautiful music and art and writing good books and even just sharing inspiring quotes on Facebook. Keep sharing the good stuff, and think twice before sharing something that makes someone else look bad or stupid, even if you think they "deserve it". Focus on the positive and the beautiful, and listen to music. Join a movement of Happiness. It will all be better.