I (literally) woke up at 5 a.m. thinking: We don’t talk enough about what ‘woke’ really means. We are allowing the MAGA extremists to mischaracterize and malign the very essence of not only definitions, but what woke looks like in action. We are “woke” because we care not only about ourselves but about what happens to others. Woke = love.
Here are 10 reasons why we all should be proud to be “woke” and strive to become even moreso.
- Woke means you care about the well-being of all people — regardless of their race, religion, ability, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, etc. The human in me sees the human in you.
- Woke means that you do not believe that you are better than any other person and what you deserve, they deserve too.
- Woke means that you are caring, compassionate, and empathetic.
- Woke means that you see the world from an abundance, rather than a scarcity, mentality.
- Woke means that you learn about people who are different from you and value and respect those differences.
- Woke means you share what you have and what you know, rather than hoard it.
- Woke means that you not only care about the well-being of all people, but you take action when you see inequitable and/or inhumane treatment.
- Woke means you believe that what happens to the least of us affects all of us.
- Woke means that in addition to caring about the well-being of your fellow humans, you care about the fate of all living things. (Yes, that means the environment and the effects of climate change.)
- Woke means that you have a heart full of grace and a soul generated by love. These words are from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as he shared his wisdom on how everybody could be great through serving others.
The bottom line is: “Woke” is about love — agape love. Agape is the highest form of love that is given, whether or not it’s returned. It’s love without any self-benefit. In the Buddhist tradition, it is the central foundation of loving kindness for all humankind. Mahatma Gandhi said that love should be the organizing principle of individual lives as well as the whole of society. He said, “Where there is love, there is life and where there is love, there is light.”
I don’t think many would argue that we need more love in the world today. There is way too much hate and violence being spewed by the far right and being acted upon by too many people, causing great harm to others. We see it every day in schools, sports events, political venues, and neighborhoods — attacks on innocent people who are merely trying to live their lives. We need more woke.
Won’t you join us in a “Why I Am Woke” campaign sharing your stories about how you use your wokeness to spread love and caring in the world. Use #WhyIAmWoke on social media and tag The Winters Group to join this movement.
