The message I personally wish I would hear from leadership right now...

We are a family that has forgotten the importance of family. We are like two potential divorcees caught in an embittered fight over our dislike for one another and using our child as the bargaining chip to hurt one another. And ultimately only the child will suffer the most.

Life isn't always a contact sport.

Me winning doesn’t mean you have to lose.

You winning doesn’t mean I have to lose.

There is a co-parenting win-win if we look for it... together.

We must keep our eye on what's most important over what we may think is most immediate right now. In the same way, one must look at health goals... what I want most such as a healthy body over what I want now in that second slice of chocolate cake.

There comes a time when a critical junction has to be crossed

where some may make it about personal agendas, we must realize that the whole is what will keep us together.

We are not a country of divided ideals, we are a country of diverse ideals.

Right now there is a good chance that there are messages in the media, posts on social media, conversations happening among people that have at some level (politically, ideologically, professionally, etc.) caused you to disagree strongly with your fellow American, even hate them.

There are hundreds of millions of diverse humans from every walk of life in this great country that WE all love.

As you can imagine, that comes with lots and lots of differing viewpoints. That is the basis of what makes us strong and unique.

With all of those diverse opinions, ideas, and ways of achieving goals, the one thing that ties us all together is our love for the idea of what America can be.

The American ideal has the ability to create an incredible halo effect that can positively impact literally all aspects of our lives from personal, professional, health, religious, to everything in between.

When we get to the topics that we disagree on, humans have the option of voicing their opinion or silently observing and mentally filing people into different in and out-groups.

Our country is at a historically critical moment where we either will focus on what unifies us or start creating factions (whether real or imaginary) that will irreplaceably divide our country instead of working on what truly is most important... creating the win-win.

We are the American family. And like family we don't always have to like one another. But we should always love one another. Especially during the most trying of times.

Strong family arguments typically have one of two endings.

Option 1) "We are saying and want pretty much the same thing just in different ways"

Option 2) An insurmountable rift is created that slowly floats people away from one another and then years later they somehow just "grew apart."

We as a country should not entertain option 2. We should not entertain even the glimmer of a thought of a Civil War Part 2.

We all have unique life experiences and therefore different viewpoints. All of these viewpoints are valid. We don't have to agree with them to make them valid.

But we can take a step back, breathe, and ask ourselves what is truly most important to all of us and refocus how we address the problems that are at hand.

In the same way, two loved ones in the heat of an argument rarely come to a resolution, the two need to step back breathe and re-access the situation from a clear-headed perspective, and focus not simply on the hurt we are feeling (though important) but focus on what we need most together.

I encourage everyone to authentically share what they care about. It's the only way change happens and evolution takes place.

What destroys growth is when we forget we can disagree without being disagreeable.

You may not agree with my viewpoint, but it doesn't mean who I am as a person isn't any less valuable to the collective group. And I may not agree with your viewpoint but it doesn't mean you are any less valuable.

What our country needs is to not look at our teammates as the enemy. No team can win with infighting. We all need a collective deep breath.

If we choose to focus on what's most important instead of wanting to be "right" then we might just come up with some boss ideas together. Because we are working on a common goal as a team.

We are at a critical ideological junction that can either unite us or divide us as a country in a very real and tangible way.

Our tone, our accusations, our discourse (or silence) from this point forward will make or break the team environment that has taken so long to develop.

I am dedicated to being part of unification work in my life. I sense I am not the only one who feels this way.

I invite you to ask yourself before hitting the blue "Post" button on social media if my post is going to bring us together or cause us to drift apart.

I invite you to ask yourself before you make your next comment to a friend is with the intent to understand or with the intent to convince.

These small acts may make or break this beautiful country more than any other immediate step we can ALL take within the context of the 'right now'.

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Of course, you have the right to feel this post was a waste of time or unhelpful. And I would respect your viewpoint because that's what humans have the unique ability to do. Disagree with respect.