Character Makes it Possible to Sincerely Wish Goodwill to All

With a new year upon us, I truly wish goodwill to all. I love diverse humanity, despite my realization that not everyone wants to offer “Goodwill to All.”

Life experience has shown me repeatedly that character matters far more than shallow factors. I consider myself spiritual, not religious. But I respect human traditions and seek to learn from different sources. There is a Biblical passage that truly resonates with me: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Due to character, I abide this basic lesson in life: “When you meet someone for the first time, stop and realize that you really know nothing about them. You see race, gender, age, clothes. Forget it all. You know nothing. Those biased assumptions that pop into your head because of the way your brain likes categories, are limiting your life, and other people’s lives.” It comes from an article with a list of advice offered by people over age 60.

I know the truth of this quote on a spiritual level, in part because I was born an empath. Some would refer to this as a person with an “old soul.” All I know is that since I was a little girl, empathy, lovingkindness and compassion were how I tended to…