Chaplain's Corner 

Diversity: The Key to Wealth.

Last week an email entitled “Diversity: the key to wealth”  arrived in my inbox. The accompanying message encouraged me to listen to a podcast and to consider how the COVID-19 pandemic has ‘sucked the life, liberty, and happiness from so many of us around the world,’ and that ‘we (the people of the world) are not the same. We are beautifully combined’.  (https://edmylett.libsyn.com/diversity-the-key-to-wealth-w-ed-mylett).

For us as adults, the best days of our lives were when we finished school, left home, went to University, went on a budget backpacking holiday, or started working fulltime. This was a time of being exposed to a diversity of people and experiences and having to make decisions for ourselves. However, as we have grew older, we have tended to stick to our tribes. We hang around people just like us, who reinforce our beliefs and way of thinking. We avoid new things and people with different ways of thinking, especially those that are ‘completely wrong’ in their actions and opinions. The idea that this way of behaving is like eating cake appealed to me. It feels good but actually doesn’t make us stronger or healthier. 

I came across some research that linked enhanced happiness to people having new and diverse experiences in their daily lives (https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/05/200518111638.htm). Although this study was completed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, even small changes (such as taking a different route to the shops) could possibly have the same effect. In the last few months, we have had less personal contact with people, and our ability to visit different places has been curtailed. We may also have financial constraints due to changed work conditions. Nevertheless, there are ways to bring some spice back into our lives. What is something that you, or your children, can try for the first time? Who can you speak to with a different personality, political view, or football team? We do not have to change our habits or views because of this interaction, but rather take the opportunity to learn more about someone else. 

According to AMP Global Youth (https://ampglobalyouth.org/2020/06/20/5-reasons-diversity-important-21st-century/), the five reasons why diversity is important in the 21st Century are productivity, becoming a world citizen, perspective, developing acceptance, and having a richer life experience. 

As I flicked through my photos this morning, I came across some taken during a family holiday to Melbourne in 2017. My daughter and I were amazed by the diversity of cakes at these two shops, and we ended up sampling some chocolate cake. Now for the real question- why didn’t we fill up on the cupcakes and macarons?