I want to start this blog by asking you to think of your favourite colour. Well. Mine is blue. The same indigo shade you can find in a rainbow. Is your colour also a part of the rainbow? I’m sure it is.
Going back to the physics lab in school, I have a vivid memory of the colour wheel with the rainbow colours. All of us gathered around the table with curiosity that day. When the rainbow wheel spun, we were so fascinated by the result. In the process of additive colour mixing, all the colours combined to create this serene colour, white.
This is what diversity is to me. The end result of mixing all the colours of the rainbow to produce a peaceful, soothing result.
For me, the human mind is a beautiful prism. It allows you to see the various colours in a rainbow and also combine them to let you see white. When we look at the differences between us, differences such as age, religion, sex, status, beliefs, thought patterns, etc. we see the single colours. Each is unique in its own way. But by looking and focussing on these differences we tend to forget that we all are a shade of that peaceful, serene white. When we intentionally blur these lines and differences, we will all see the single colour.
Just like the rainbow, at times, one colour let’s go of its ego and gives space, freedom to the other colour to co-exist in the same sky. All the colours display their uniqueness and hold onto it. But they all provide ample space for the other colours to coexist peacefully in the same sky. We are very similar to the colours of the rainbow, unique, bright and full of positive energy.
Thus for me, diversity focusses on a few key aspects:
- Giving another person the freedom to express himself, Freedom of thought and perspective, to view the world in their own way.
- Being respectful and thoughtful towards all, irrespective of their age, status, gender, choices, etc.
- Keeping an open mind and consciously choosing actions that help in coexisting peacefully with others.
In the end, we are all from the same colour, white, the same molecule. It’s a great feeling to love your uniqueness and individuality. We all love rainbows. But loving the similarities much more than the differences is what a sky full of dreams look like.
