Opinion: Everyone has a role to play in creating a welcoming, compassionate community

Over the course of my studies I have come across some truly inspirational people with some big, paradigm-changing messages.

The kind of messages that challenge the status quo and call for a new way of being.

The kind that makes us ask ourselves if we are really happy with the way things are or what we’ve always done.

One such message for me was from a TED talk by Dr Gary Slutkin. He talks about gun violence as a contagious disease, evidenced by the fact that in areas where there have been acts of gun violence, subsequent incidents happen at an exponential rate of growth.

Now, while this did get me thinking about some of our community’s considerable social issues, it also got me thinking about how this is true on a different level.

I believe we each have the opportunity to be our own patient zero, creating an epidemic of joy or kindness, compassion or support.

Creating a community that thrives shouldn’t just be left to those who get paid for the privilege. I believe the responsibility rests on the whole. And don’t get me wrong — it’s not a magic wand, and our social issues aren’t going anywhere for the time being.

But what if your one act of kindness, compassion or respect created a ripple that empowered one person to change? Wouldn’t that make it worthwhile? So have a think today. Would you rather spread compliments or criticism, compassion or condemnation, joy or anger?

Or in the terms of COVID-19 — if someone were to contact- trace your interactions, would you feel the need to self-isolate?