PUTTING HUMANITY FIRST: LESS BLUE, LESS RED, MORE PURPLE

How Can We Find Peace in a Chaotic World?

And by world, I mean whatever part of the Universe you live in. For me, it is the United States, so therefore, the focus of my writing. For you the reader, it could be Italy, China, Germany, France, Belgium, the U.S. This is a global platform and for that I am grateful. 

The strongest message I want to convey in this article (after the midterm election of 2026 in the U.S.A.,) is that no matter what happens in the world of politics, we can care deeply about what happens in the world without allowing it to consume our lives or turn us against one another. 💜

Personally, I don't think any side really wins when you are still choosing a "color," and looking at the other side as "the enemy." Unity doesn't mean agreeing with everyone, ignoring injustice, or pretending that political decisions don't have consequences. It means recognizing that we can disagree without losing our humanity. And that is the central theme of most of my writing.

The truth is, we have more control over our attitudes, our relationships, our communities, and our daily choices than we sometimes realize.

I believe it is by choosing joy, not division, because life is too short to spend it angry, divided, and waiting for the world to change. I have said it before, and I will write it again here. When we change our own behavior and attitudes in a more positive way, we can better affect the collective.

People are tired and I don't think there's any denying that anymore. People are tired of the political fighting, the constant finger-pointing, the struggles, the negativity, the fear, and the endless cycle of outrage that seems to dominate our news feeds, our conversations, and sometimes even our relationships.

Red versus blue. Left versus right. Us versus them. Enough already. 

Whatever happened to simply being human? Whatever happened to respecting one another, enjoying life, finding common ground, and remembering that despite our differences, we're all sharing this little planet we call Earth?

I know, maybe that sounds a little idealistic, but is wanting a kinder, more peaceful world really such a crazy idea? I don't think so. In fact, I think it's something we desperately need.

What If We Focused Less on Red and Blue and More on Purple?

The thought I had that prompted this article is that I believe: "People are genuinely tired (soul-tired.) We should focus less on blue. Less on red. And focus more on PURPLE. Blending. Unity. Balance. Common ground. Doing the right thing. PEACE! HUMANITY.

And I genuinely believe that. Purple, to me, represents something we seem to have lost along the way: the willingness to meet somewhere in the middle. Not necessarily politically, but as human beings. It means recognizing that someone can have different opinions, beliefs, backgrounds, or experiences without automatically becoming our enemy.

It means listening to understand instead of listening just to respond. It means being willing to admit that perhaps we don't have all the answers. Imagine that!

And it means understanding that doing the right thing shouldn't depend on which political party someone belongs to. Kindness doesn't have a political affiliation. Neither does compassion, integrity, or basic human decency. At least, they shouldn't.

The Constant Noise is Stealing Our Joy

Here's something I've been thinking about lately. How much of our precious time and energy are we giving away to things we cannot control? Think about it. We wake up, reach for our phones, scroll through social media, and before we've even had our morning coffee, we're bombarded with everything that's supposedly wrong with the world. Someone is angry. Someone is offended. Someone is blaming someone else. And suddenly, we're carrying all that negativity into our day.

I'm not suggesting we bury our heads in the sand or ignore what's happening around us. Quite the opposite.

We should stay informed. We should care about our communities, our country, and the world we're leaving behind for future generations.

We should absolutely speak up when something is wrong, but being informed and being consumed are two very different things.

We don't have to participate in every argument. We don't have to react to every headline. And we certainly don't have to allow the opinions of strangers on the internet to dictate our mood for the rest of the day.

Life is happening right now, whether we're paying attention to it or not. Our children are growing up. Our parents are getting older. Our friendships need nurturing. There are sunsets to watch, places to explore, music to enjoy, and memories waiting to be made.

And we're spending how many hours arguing with someone in a Facebook comment section? Come on, people. We can do better. 

We Have More Power Than We Realize

There's something else I believe. For far too long, we've allowed politics, powerful institutions, media narratives, and the constant battle for our attention to influence how we see one another. Division gets attention. Fear gets attention. Outrage gets attention.

And unfortunately, all that attention can translate into influence, money, and power, but here's what I wish more people understood:

We don't have to give away our peace just because someone else is creating chaos. We may not control what happens in Washington. We may not control the economy, the decisions of world leaders, or the next breaking news story, but we can control how we respond. We can choose what deserves our attention and we can choose the conversations we participate in.

We can choose how we treat our neighbors, our families, our coworkers, and even complete strangers. And maybe most importantly, we can choose what kind of energy we contribute to the world. I have always believed that our thoughts, words, and actions matter.

Call it energy, frequency, vibration, attitude, or simply the ripple effect of human behavior. What we put out into the world has a way of influencing the people around us.

Anger can spread, but so can kindness. Fear can spread, but so can hope. And if negativity can influence an entire community, imagine what could happen if more of us made a conscious effort to spread compassion, encouragement, and understanding instead.

That, to me, is where real change begins.

Protect Your Peace Without Losing Your Compassion

One of the biggest lessons I've learned in life is that not everyone deserves unlimited access to our energy. We all know people who seem to find something wrong with absolutely everything.

The weather is terrible. The government is terrible. Their neighbors are terrible. Life is terrible. And if you spend enough time around that kind of negativity, eventually it starts affecting you, too.

Now, don't get me wrong. Everyone goes through difficult seasons. Everyone needs to vent sometimes. And being positive doesn't mean pretending everything is sunshine and rainbows. I've certainly experienced enough of life's challenges to know that. But there's a difference between someone going through a difficult time and someone who has made negativity their permanent residence.

You can love people without absorbing every emotion they carry. You can be compassionate without participating in constant drama. And you can disagree with someone without allowing that disagreement to destroy your relationship.

Protecting your peace isn't selfish. It's necessary.

Sometimes that means turning off the news. Sometimes it means stepping away from social media. Sometimes it means setting boundaries with people who constantly drain your energy.

And sometimes it simply means saying, "You know what? I'm not giving this any more of my day." Whatever it takes, because your peace matters, too.

Maybe We Need to Start Teaching Humanity Again

This brings me to something I've written about before and feel very strongly about. My T.E.A.C.H. philosophy.

I designed a T.E.A.C.H. poster around the importance of teaching children kindness, empathy, acceptance, and compassion. It is not anything innovative to want to teach children kindness, but in the world, we live in today, you have to market, sell and promote every idea in an attractive way.  And in my opinion, emphasizing the idea of kindness and teaching children well is where we can start. 

There is no greater time to teach children that we are all human and should treat each other as such. And the more I look at what's happening in the world, the more I realize something: maybe it's not just our children who need these lessons. Maybe some of us adults could use a refresher course, too.

We spend so much time teaching children how to succeed academically, professionally, and financially. But what about teaching them:

• How to be good human beings?
• How to respect someone who looks different from them?
• How to show compassion for someone whose circumstances they don't understand?
• How to disagree without being cruel?
• How to recognize that kindness is not weakness?

These are lessons that should begin at home, continue in our classrooms, and be practiced throughout our lives.

And here's the thing. Children learn far more from what we do than from what we tell them.

We cannot expect the next generation to embrace empathy and acceptance while they watch adults insult, belittle, and dehumanize one another over political differences.

We have to lead by example. If we want a kinder world, we have to start behaving like the people we hope will inhabit it. That includes how we treat people who disagree with us. Especially those people.

We Don't Have to Agree to Respect Each Other

Somewhere along the way, disagreement became a reason to dislike someone. And I find that incredibly sad. We are all shaped by different experiences. Our upbringing, our families, our cultures, our struggles, our education, and the people we've encountered throughout our lives all influence how we see the world.

Of course we're not always going to agree! We're human. 

And honestly, how boring would life be if we all thought exactly alike? You can be open-minded and it doesn't mean abandoning your values. It means recognizing that your perspective isn't the only perspective. It means being curious enough to ask questions. 

Be humble enough to listen. And mature enough to disagree without becoming disrespectful.

There will always be issues that require us to take a stand. There will always be injustices worth fighting against. Peace doesn't mean remaining silent in the face of wrongdoing.

We can stand firmly for what we believe is right without allowing hatred to become part of who we are. We can stand up for justice and still stand for humanity. Those two things should never be mutually exclusive.

Don't Forget to Actually LIVE Your Life

Now, here's the part I really want people to take to heart. Please don't become so consumed with everything that's wrong in the world that you forget about everything that's still beautiful in it, because there is so much beauty.

There are still wonderful people doing extraordinary things. There are strangers helping strangers. There are people volunteering, teaching, creating, healing, encouraging, and making a difference in their communities every single day.

There is still laughter. There is still music. There is still love. There are still beautiful sunsets, unexpected friendships, family gatherings, silly moments, and little everyday blessings that remind us why life is worth living. And sometimes, in the middle of all the noise, we forget to notice them.

I've said this before, and I'll say it again: I don't just want more years in my life. I want more life in my years. I want to enjoy the time I have. I want to laugh until my stomach hurts. I want to spend time with people who make my heart happy. I want to keep learning, growing, exploring, and finding reasons to be grateful.

And yes, I want to make a difference in this world, but I don't want to spend my entire life angry about the things I cannot change, because the truth is, none of us knows how much time we have.

And I refuse to believe we were put on this beautiful planet simply to argue, worry, work, pay bills, and repeat. There has to be more to life than that. And there is.

Sometimes we just need to remember to look for it!

Raising Our Vibration Starts with Our Everyday Choices

For those of you who have followed my writing over the years, you know I often talk about energy, frequency, and the importance of our thoughts. I believe the energy we bring into a room matters.

Not because we can magically wish away the world's problems, but because our attitudes and behaviors influence how we interact with others.

• A kind word can change someone's day.

• A genuine smile can make someone feel seen.

• A thoughtful conversation can help bridge a misunderstanding.

• Speak up.

• Vote.

• Stand up for what you believe in.

• But please, don't forget to live.

• Don't let the noise steal your joy.

• Don't let differences turn into hatred.

• Don't allow fear to become the lens through which you see the entire world.

• Make time for the people you love.

• Do the things that make you happy.

• Be kind whenever possible.

• More understanding.

• More balance.

• More compassion.

• More joy.

• More peace.

And one person choosing compassion instead of anger can sometimes stop an argument before it even begins.

Imagine those little choices multiplied by millions of people. That's the kind of collective energy I'd love to see more of, but it requires participation. It requires us to stop waiting for politicians, celebrities, influencers, or anyone else to set the example.

We have to become the example. We the people have power. Not just at the ballot box, although that certainly matters. We have power in our homes, our neighborhoods, our schools, our businesses, and our communities. We have the power to encourage instead of criticizing. To build instead of destroy. To listen instead of judge. To bring people together instead of pushing them further apart.

And while none of us can change the entire world overnight, we can certainly influence the little corner of it we occupy.

That's not insignificant. That's how change begins. Humanity First. Always. I don't expect everyone to agree with me. And that's perfectly fine. In fact, that's part of the point. We don't need to agree on everything to recognize that we all deserve dignity, kindness, and respect.

We are different in countless ways, but we share something far more important. Our humanity. We all experience love, loss, joy, fear, hope, and disappointment. We all want to feel safe. We all want our families to be okay. We all want to believe that tomorrow can be better than today.

And whether we identify as red, blue, purple, independent, or none of the above, we still share this planet.

Maybe it's time we started acting like it. So yes, stay informed. And remember that sometimes the most meaningful way to change the world is to change how we show up in it.

Less red. Less blue. More purple.

Because at the end of the day, we're not just Republicans, Democrats, conservatives, liberals, or independents. We're human beings first.

And maybe, just maybe, if we start remembering that, we can find our way back to one another. You can stick to your principles and always stand up for what you believe, but with the maturity and open-mindedness to listen and truly hear other's points of view as well. 

Life is always about balance, in everything that we do. 

Peace, love, and a little more balance. 💜☮️

— L.R. Rozenblat

The Power to Be Happy