Amidst all of the recent tragedies, I’ve witnessed many desperate voices seeking answers, praying and hoping. Alongside these voices, I’ve also noticed action. Individuals worldwide have been taking action to aid those struck by such crises, and I think that says a lot about humanity and what we are truly capable of achieving. I’ve found it within myself to strive to pursue the bright side of the devastating condition our country is left with today. We cannot change or control the past, but we can choose not to be compressed by it.

Religions, sexual orientations and politics aside, the anger that has filled our world today is entirely unacceptable and must be put to an end before we find our species verging on the edge of extinction. Aren’t you tired of living in a world with so much hatred?

So, my attempted “bright side” of such tragedies is I believe we have all been shocked, shaken, traumatized into opening our eyes to the serious downfall our society is headed toward. I believe we are ready and willing to change because we realize we must.

“And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.” Mark 3:25

The beauty of humanity is that as a whole, I know we have what it takes to create a force powerful enough to break through our own resistances. The love and support of all communities have been immense lately, and I don’t want this to just be a phase, a way of grieving, temporary. The way in which we have united after a fall is the way we should operate on a normal day-to-day basis in order to prevent this from happening again. It shouldn’t take a tragedy for us to realize that we need to change, but it is evident that there is no better time than now, dealing with the aftermath to do so.

Just as a tidbit: no one should feel pressured to change their beliefs on these topics. We should start to practice accepting others for who they are, despite where their opinions stand. After all, sometimes being understood is all we could ever ask for. The first step in the acceptance process is respect.

For instance, the Brock Turner case involved a young man who allegedly raped an innocent woman for selfish reasons; Omar Mateen targeted the LGBTQ+ community by shooting an Orlando nightclub, killing 49 and wounding 53; and Kevin Loibl took the life of rising star, Christina Grimmie. One major aspect these attackers have in common is that they acted with absolutely no regards for the victims’ lives. If only these attackers could have put aside their narrowed and vain desires to ponder how one small action might completely demolish their targets’ lives, perhaps none of this would have ever happened. We must put our variances aside and have respect for differences—woman, gay, famous—we are all human.

The second step is letting go of our pride for a moment to allow room for open-mindedness. I understand that when an idea or belief is ingrained into your mind from the day you could speak, it is difficult to entertain the thought of listening to any other perspective. However, if we do not let people in and at least give them a chance to show us what they believe in and why then our society will never be able to progress as a whole. If you’re an atheist, why not try going with a friend to their Catholic Church service some time? If you’re democratic, why not watch Fox News and get a glimpse into Republican views? Why not expand your mind to all viewpoints? How will you know what you truly believe in if you don’t at least try to appreciate anything outside of your comfort zone?

The third step, and one that I closely resonate with is bullying. Can we stop this already? Bullying does nothing for a person but makes them look ugly and ignorant. I’ve noticed a similarity between the recent Orlando shooting and the San Bernardino terrorist attack in 2015—they were both generated by second-generation immigrants. Instead of asking ourselves why there is so much hate, I challenge you to let go of the stereotypes that are constantly dragging people down. I can’t speak from personal experience, but I can imagine that it isn’t easy growing up in the United States as a second-generation immigrant with roots originating from a different country than the one that is drilling new beliefs and ideas every day in schools, the workplace, and social environment. So, maybe, we should stop judging these people just because of where they came from, and applaud them for where they are now and who they are trying to become. You never really know a person until you ask.

I challenge you to take a chance, talk to people no matter what they look like or believe in, let them in. You never know one what small act of kindness can do for a person: It may just change their life. I don’t care if you aren’t saying these crude words directly to someone’s face. Don’t act so naïve and disregard the fact that we all know: It’s just as bad as posting rude remarks or comments on social media. It is completely fine to think what you want, but there has never been a good reason to tear apart a person or a community simply because of what they are “known” or “labeled” to believe in. Every individual person is unique, and I don’t believe that we are defined by our origination.

Lastly, I challenge our society to exert more energy on loving rather than hating. I challenge the individuals of our society to focus more on our inner selves and how we treat others and watch as the world outside changes for the better.