Helloooooo all you beautiful humans,
Today I want to talk about compassion. Some of you may or may not have heard about this weekends so called “controversy.” In short, I was asked for a comment from the media about a market happening this weekend to which I spoke my truth, “I didn't want [to take] the chance of putting any of my customers or staff at risk.”
When the pandemic hit I made the choice, (with my team) that we would postpone doing major trade shows until most people were vaccinated. It was a tough decision as trade shows are a major portion of our income, but we didn’t feel comfortable and I stand behind it.
With that said, I am saddened to hear that many vendors and small businesses were attacked and shamed because they decided to participate in the show. This is NOT ok in my books.
Right now we are all dealing with something new and unfamiliar: a global pandemic. It’s been just over a year since all of this hit and people are dealing with it in different ways (which is ok). We all have our own coping mechanisms. Some feel very opinionated one way and others feel the exact opposite. This too is ok. We all have the right to our own opinion. What we DON’T have, is the right to judge and shame others for their opinion. This is a major issue we have in our world right now, which is why I beg you to use compassion. You don’t know what someone else is going through.
The great thing about life is that we are all unique and we all see our choices in different ways. What feels good for one person might feel the opposite for someone else. You may share your opinion with them in an open and constructive way, but at the end of the day it is their choice. That being said I want to be clear that this doesn't mean the rules and regulations set out to protect each other during this pandemic shouldn't be followed(to the best of my knowledge they followed all guidelines) Everyone has their own comfort level right now with things starting to return to some semblance of normal and we all must respect that. Some people are ready for it, and others need a little more time. If we do not agree, we must show compassion for their decision because at the end of the day it is their choice. We don’t know their internal thoughts and feelings, therefore we must be understanding.
My goal in life is to make people smile and feel good, so join me and share some love and compassion, rather then hate and shame.
Xoxo
Lennard
ps. All small businesses are doing their best to survive through this pandemic. Let's create a supportive and inclusive environment to support our entrepreneurs and bring their businesses up.