Living in Harmony with Others

By Jack Brotherton, grade 7,

1st Place Local and 3rd Place State Winner of the

2020-21 National CDA Education Contest

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Even though sometimes it can seem hard, living in harmony with others is easier than you think. One easy way to live in harmony with others is by giving back to people in the community. For example, seek out opportunities to volunteer in community-wide events to help those that are less fortunate. Clothing drives and canned food collection drives are two easy ways to participate in community-wide events. 

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Also another easy way to live in harmony is by addressing the disharmony that may exist in your life. For example, with all the technology that exists today, it can be really hard to feel connected with other people. Feeling disconnected can make differences in opinion and conflict around the world seem like problems that can never be solved.

Start by taking steps to actively build relationships with your family and friends, this will get you off to a good start. You can hang out with your friends and spend quality time with your family to make your connections with these people stronger. Build on this good start by attending group events and actively try to build new relations and connections with people in the community. 

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To live in harmony you should ignore the negative things that are going on in the world and focus on the positive things in your life. For some people, this means not watching the news because they find it depressing. For other people, it means avoiding certain topics with friends and family, such as politics or religion, if those topics cause friction. But living in harmony with other does not mean that everyone has to always get along. If you have a disagreement, solve it by talking it out instead of using violence. Actively discourage violence and support other solutions. 

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Living in harmony with others may mean that you need to try new activities that take you out of your comfort zone. Avoid doing things that are a waste of time and isolate you from other people, like playing video games or watching TV. Instead, spend that time volunteering at a soup kitchen or attending church. Another easy way to live in harmony with others is to manage your money and give some of it to charitable organizations. 

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Living in harmony with others requires everyone to be open with people that they are close with and try to express feelings, instead of hiding them. Make sure to be a good listener and pay attention if someone is hurting inside. 

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These are just some of the many ways to live in harmony with others, some you may already do without thinking, others may require you to be more mindful of your actions. Whether it is second nature or takes effort, taking steps to living in harmony with others is worth your attention.

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Jack Brotherton, Grade 7