The recent audio recording of Donald Sterling, the owner of the Los Angeles Clippers basketball team, capturing his racist comments against Blacks to his now ex-girlfriend, illustrates a great way that anyone can open the flood gates of pain-bodies within themselves.
What is important to keep in mind here is the lesson-to be learned not from the act of making a racist comment, but the result of that action – the biggest result being that his comments have caused him to be ostracized by his coaches, his players, his team’s fans, and his estranged wife.
The most ironical thing from this incident is that while he has “divided” himself from Blacks based on his thinking his whole life, this very incident has divided him from society.
Moreover, what he didn’t realize through the recording, that people can now continuously listen to and play over and over again on YouTube, is that as a result of his views against a group of individuals who are simply different by their color, heritage and background that he has potentially cost the National Basketball Association (NBA) millions of dollars in endorsements.
For those reading this that hold prejudices against other groups – and I get that it in some circumstances some groups are not acceptable in your opinion – you need to understand that your mindset of setting boundaries in regards to an opinion about a group of people is really setting boundaries within your personal operating system of life.
We live in an ever global world today consumed by a cyber and mental-frame-of-reference. All thoughts, opinions, viewpoints , emails, text messages, instant messages are being recorded and stored – somewhere whether it be in the cloud, on a server, or inside someone else’s memory.
The views represented by Mr. Sterling were ingrained inside his head for many years. This is how he was raised, brought up, and may represent shared common beliefs he had with in regards to the people he hung out with.
Let’s get one thing out there – there is no room for racism on this planet. In fact, being racist is limiting yourself as it limits your ability to function in society.
Confining your views about a group of people is confining yourself. You are not free with this kind of thinking. You are limiting your network – you are limiting your potential, and limiting your opportunities – opportunities for growth which are derived by the very own people who you are thinking against.
I am not saying don’t agree with everyone out there – this is not an exercise of accepting other people’s viewing – this is an exercise of respecting people for who they are. Grudges and judgments against others is simply a reflection of what many people out in the world may even think of you.
The best way to control judgment is to accept all beings for who they are. We live in an ever flat world where collaboration is occurring from all sides of the world regardless of color or country of origin. The only way to survive is acceptance, as anything else is futile for yourself and those in your network as illustrated by Donald Sterling’s action.