Our Common Differences
Jeff Nischwitz (he/his/him)
Consigliere, Performance Coach, People Whisperer, Snow Globe Shaker ... Lover of bold red wine ?? .. Cuban cigars .. Hearty bourbon ?? .. Broadway theater ??
This past weekend I was blessed to serve as a leader on a Mankind Project New Warrior Training Adventure just outside Dublin, Ireland. The staff came from many different places, including Ireland, United Kingdom, Spain, France, Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland. The diversity was similar with the thirty-seven men who attended the training.
So many differences in language, culture, accents, foods, words, history, education, background, heritage, perceptions and opinions. At the same time, we had many things in common, including the shared desire to be a part of this training and to continue to grow as men (whether as staff or initiates).
It made me think about what matters most – our differences or what we have in common. My answer is that both matter most. You may think that both can’t matter “most,” but that’s only if you live in an “or” world. I live in an “and / both” world and one of paradox. In a world of paradox different things can matter equally, and this is so true when it comes to our differences and what we have in common. What I’m calling our common differences.
Imagine a world where we equally embrace what we share in common AND our differences. Learning from each other from our differences and what we have in common. This weekend opened my eyes even wider to differences, and rather than look past them to only find what we have in common, I choose to see and acknowledge our differences more fully.
#OurDifferences #CommonDifferences #Multicultural #Diversity #EmbraceDifferences #EmbraceDiversity