Remember the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge? Many people did this to help raise money for ALS research. However, most of them didn’t know that the reason they chose ice was because it imitated how an ALS patient feels. That split second where you experience the rush of cold gives you an indicator of how someone with ALS feels. They raised awareness and they raised money.

I would like to suggest a “Loving Who’s Different” challenge to all of you as a way to raise our awareness and experience of love. In fact, we can simply name it “The Bear Hug Challenge.”

You would need to find someone who is different from who you believe you are and give them a hug. If you are straight, hug someone who is LGBT. If you are black, hug someone who is white. If you are a male, hug a female. If you are financially rich, hug a homeless person. If you are brilliant, hug a mentally challenged person. If you are selfish, hug a selfless person. If you are talkative, hug a demure person. If you are a leader, hug a follower. If you are a Christian, hug a Muslim. If you are brave, hug a timid person. You get the idea.

Hug another person who expresses themselves differently than you and we will see that we truly all aren’t that different. These hugs would become a chain reaction that could heal this planet with the spreading of love. Take the challenge. Step out of your comfort zone and feel the essence of the heart of someone who is different from you. Both of you will learn that we are all one inside and that we need each other to survive, strive and thrive to live in love. Peace and a bear hug! ~Dean A. Banks, D.D.

Please share this with everyone you know! Let's get proactive and send every living being on this planet love!

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