Exclusion is residing outside a circle.
Inclusion is residing inside a circle – a circle of relationships, professional or personal, informal or formal.
Insiders form a comfort zone among and for themselves.
Insiders institute norms of behaviour – some written, others unwritten.
Insiders intentionally or unintentionally establish an inflexible circle,
Insiders discriminately determines who comes in and who stays out.
So tight, it’s difficult or almost impossible for outsiders to penetrate.
Penetration? Possible, but under the strict terms of the insiders.
If penetration happens by force, insiders may resist, regroup by forming new circles – circles to further exclude.
Humans have the potential to exclude and include.
Children learn either to include or exclude.
At times exclusion occurs purposefully.
Other times exclusion happens unintentionally.
Sometimes temporary exclusion may be necessarily healthy, but not permanent.
In recent times, I ponder on unintentional exclusion.
We are oblivious and unaware we are excluding.
Comfort level is so high, we become imprisoned in it.
There is merriment, intoxication, self-indulgence.
Sometimes fixated on goals, we forget the journey, and who is on the journey,
While others languish on the outside.
Inclusion must be intentional.
Inclusion is breast fed by awareness –
Awareness of my own feelings of exclusion.
Inclusion is nourished by the breast milk of awareness –
Awareness of the feelings of outsiders – rejection, neglect.
Do you have a tendency to exclude or include?
Who am I excluding from my circles?
Why have I excluded them?
Beloved Reflections 