Will you start a campaign to inspire love and respect for anyone that you might have discriminated against in the past?
I feel the need to help others realize that their old belief system about whites being superior has led our world/our country into a sad situation where many problems arise out of these old, probably subconscious, beliefs! I think that we as fitness professionals could make a difference if we lead the way to encouraging others to scrutinize their own choices and spread equal opportunity and love, yes, LOVE, to everyone. If we judge someone, let’s do it by their choices, not their race!
Hello “Anna”,
as professionals, we have an opportunity to welcome everybody regardless of the many reasons why people are discriminated against. Many of us teach classes, and we can make everybody feel safe and welcome.
But as individuals, we have an obligation to probe our own minds. We may consider ourselves as open as can be but, on close inspection, we may find that we have prejudices or preconceived notions. Just becoming aware of them can be a challenge.
After all, categorizing has been a survival strategy for millennia. It has enabled us to distinguish friend from foe based on learned criteria. I am not excusing discrimination but I believe that we should recognize from where it stems. When we discover it in ourselves, we should acknowledge and investigate it, not gloss over and pretend it is not there.
Current events in have pushed the question of black and white again into the forefront. But, as fitness professionals, we have our own demons, and those can be “fit and fat”.
This is an ongoing struggle for us as individuals and as a society. When consideration toward others is mocked and dismissed as “political correctness”, it gives permission to simmering prejudices to rise unapologetically to the surface. The best we can do is not to be silent but to speak up if this is what our conscience tells us.
Karin Singleton
www.KarinSingleton.com
Hello “Anna” Myers,
Great question; thank you for starting this conversation.
I can’t start; because, I already started that mindset as a child. I have been doing my best to do everything out of love my whole life. You will not hear or read about differences from me; we are all people deserving of love. I am not allowed to judge, that is our Creator’s job. My job is to spread the education of health and fitness through a personalized healthy lifestyle. My heart logo means more than meets the eye.
I feel disrespected when people are constantly asking me for free advice, knowing full well that my living depends on giving out advice, which comes from on going education that I must in turn compensate. Once again, I do my best, out of love, to not show my disappointment when these types of people never reciprocate. I know and pray that His will be done.
Take care,
Natalie aka NAPS 2 B Fit.