"Humankind. Be Both."
My mom got me a new sweatshirt that has an awesome message and mission that I wanted to share about. The brand is called Wear The Peace and it was all started by two guys who are sons of refugees and wanted to contribute to helping people who are less fortunate around the world.
The embroidered words on the sweatshirt that inspire me every time I wear it are “Humankind. Be both.”
What this expression does so eloquently is it reminds us of our shared humanity while also giving a strong call to action. We are so much more similar than we are different, but too often we don’t see that. This message reminds us all to take a step back and separate from the labels and categories we live in every day and instead identify as part of the collective.
That’s the first part, now let’s get into the second. "Be both".
When you layer on this command and split the word humankind into its two elements, we’re told to be human and to be kind.
To be human is to accept that you’re imperfect but also acknowledge that you’re an individual. We all have our own lives, experiences, and stories that make us the beautiful humans we are.
To be kind is to choose to be positive, friendly, considerate, and supportive of others. When we’re kind it means that we’re not only peacefully coexisting but we’re adding to each other’s experience.
To me that’s where this message all powerfully comes to one - when our shared humanity combines with our individual intention to support each other. This is what has the power to change the world. Imagine if more people saw each other as more similar than different, and were motivated to be helpful more often…
There would be less hate and more love in the world. Less fighting and more cooperation. Less suffering and more thriving. Everything would be better off!
And as individuals in this humankind collective, all we can control is what we do ourselves. So let’s be human, let’s be kind, and let’s be the example that inspires other people to do the same.
