Social Responsibility

I spent tonight in the Emergency Department with my father. There was an Emergency Department full of people who were helping. And they all did it with a smile. And a mask. If these amazing frontline workers can wear a mask for a whole shift, sometimes even a double, we can wear a mask to keep each other (and them) safe.

We is so much more powerful than me. The wearing of a mask, the washing of your hands, the physical distancing is about social responsibility. That is all.

The world is in a unique position. By definition unique is unlike anything else. We have never been here before. And with that comes opportunity. If we can override the fear.

Fear can trigger undesirable responses. And we are seeing plenty of those. Fear wants to lay blame and remove itself from responsibility. Yet social responsibility is the way we can unite. Through unity we can imagine and invent what we want the world to look like. We invented it all the first time. We have the opportunity now to do better.

Acts of kindness, of generosity, words of caring and compassion, the ability to put ourselves in someone else's shoes - these will fill our hearts and release happy hormones. Science has already proved that.

There are more good people in the world than bad. Look around your own circle. Count the number of people who have intentionally set out to help you at some point in your life. They will by far outnumber those who set out to harm you. Focus on them. Put your energies there. 

We have remarkable Expert Faculty and remarkable partners at SUAU. I would like to end with the closing remarks from this week's SUAUTV panel, who are part of our amazing community:

Simon Tucker - I'll start with Oscar Wilde, "give him a mask and he will tell you the truth".

Nicki Hutley - No act of kindness no matter how small is ever wasted.

Lisa Andrews - I'd love everyone to have a positive contrast problem. Compare yourself to others who are worse off and it will make you feel a lot better. And love your near and dear. 

Tim Boyle - Turn that frown upside down.

It's time to be brave enough to operate through love. Unconditional love. Be the example for our children. Leave a legacy we can be proud of.