— Morgan Freeman
Thoughts on Today's Quote
This quote is like an invitation to stop using color as our default setting for categorizing humans, and honestly, who wouldn’t want to move beyond the Crayola-box approach to identifying people? It’s as if someone said, “Hey, let’s take a break from labeling each other like we’re paint swatches at Home Depot. You’re not ‘eggshell,’ and I’m not ‘espresso,’ okay?”
The quote taps into that deeper realization: why are we still holding onto labels that do more to box us in than actually describe who we are? It’s almost like we’ve been stuck in a decades-long game of ‘Tag, You’re It,’ but instead of just tapping someone and running off, we slap a label on them and leave it there. “Tag, you’re black!” “Tag, you’re white!” And we forget that underneath it all, we’re just people. Isn’t that refreshing?
Imagine walking up to someone and saying, “Hey, I’m John, and I identify as…well, just John. What about you?” And the other person says, “Yeah, same here! I’m just Sarah.” Boom! A human connection without a Pantone color guide. How liberating would that be? We can finally just be people and save the colors for sunsets and abstract art.
The Challenge
For the next week, every time you feel the urge to judge someone or make an assumption (whether it’s about their appearance, actions, or even their words), pause for a moment and try to see things from their perspective. Challenge yourself to replace that judgment with curiosity. Ask yourself, “What might this person be going through that I don’t know about?” or “What can I learn from this situation?”
At the end of each day, reflect on how it felt to approach others with more openness and empathy instead of assumptions. You might be surprised at the insights and connections that emerge!
Today's Quote Illustrated
