Why Cultural Awareness Matters

A few years ago, I made two decisions. One was to start to look at the world the way an anthropologist does and the other was to constantly challenge myself by being in environments where people thought differently from me.

And I gotta tell you.

It wasn't easy at all.

I felt like I was heading directly into a den of wolves. I tend to be very passionate about things I care about. I questioned my ability to incorporate this habit into my everyday but I stayed committed to doing the work because I knew that it would heighten my level of cultural awareness. 

Cultural awareness is more important now than it has ever been before. Why? Because even though we live in the most digital and globalized world today, many people still fail to act globally or digitally. So in essence if we don't learn how to understand the world we live in today, we miss out on lots of opportunities to grow! We also put ourselves in a dangerous position where we promote environments for conflicts.

So back to thinking like an anthropologist, anthropologists want to know why things happen. So instead of just knowing what a problem is, they look at the bigger pictures and dig into the why.

This causes you to learn in an active way and it sharpens your problem solving skills. It fosters understanding which can lead you to become a better negotiator, entrepreneur, friend, spouse and leader. So instead of diving headfirst into a problems such as poverty, gender inequality, conflict and all the isms in the world, they train ourselves to properly assess situations and grow more.

I want to encourage you all to adopt similar mindsets. I believe that by improving our understanding of things that we don't particularly know about, we unlock the power to change the world for the better. 

It is with this in mind that I have decided to launch a YouTube show called Use Your Difference where i'll be sharing cultural concepts and tips every week on how one can become more culturally aware and a better global citizen. In this inaugural episode I am talking a little about myself and giving you an idea of what to expect in the coming weeks. 

Can't wait to hear your thoughts! Keep the emails coming. I have been enjoying what I have been learning about your backgrounds!

Ladies and gentlemen! Till next time, use your difference to make a difference!