“The folks who hate you, they don’t know you.”, Barack Obama said this Super Bowl Sunday 2011. I was just watching part of the interview Fox TV’s, Bill O’Reilly had with US President Obama. A question Bill O’Reilly asked, got me to thinking. O’Reilly asked the President if it bothered him that people really hated him. Obama’s response was no. I”m paraphrasing here but he said something to the effect that, not only did a person have to have a thick skin to make it to a position like the US presidency but Obama matter of factly said that people who hate him, don’t know him.

Isn’t that the truth. You don’t ever hate people you actually know personally. Oh, I’m sure you can strongly dislike someone but hate is such a decisive feeling. It’s very black and white, up and down, in and out. Hate is a very strong emotion and in my opinion based in your own fear of the unknown. The Merriam-Webster dictionary agrees. The definition of hate, ‘intense hostility and aversion usually deriving from fear, anger, or sense of injury.’

A trait someone exhibits, like spitting on the sidewalk or picking fluff out of their belly button in public, may annoy you, but that’s not hate. You may find that your political or religious views are far different but that’s not hate. You may love the Packers and think you hate a Steelers fan, but that’s not hate. Someone’s skin color may be a shade or ten away from yours but that’s not hate. That’s life.

Hate is within your control. You cannot hate what you do not hate. Did your head just spin-off your neck with that one? Good. An attitude adjustment is in the works. Next time you find yourself saying you hate someone, take moment and consider where that feeling is coming from. Great questions to ask yourself.

What don’t I know?
Why am I afraid of that person?
Am I just following what other people suggest or say?

It may just be that you don’t understand them or have all the knowledge you need. Perhaps you’ve not sat down and shared a beer and gotten to know the person you say you hate. I’d say there is at least one thing you have in common that will help you understand that hate is too strong a word and that a simple conversation may just close the divide between people, politics, races, and religions.

I’m not able to ask them, but maybe Bill and Barack after having spent some time together today, actually found something out about each other that they like. It may not be a love affair when it comes to their politics but maybe Bill liked Barack’s sense of humor and disarming ways, and Barack respected Bill’s accomplishment as a TV host and found him intelligent. A little less hate may have a huge impact on our world and that would be something to cheer for.

Don’t hate the game. Play fair.

Author's Bio: 

Siobhan Shaw currently is the producer and co-host of the popular show, The Attitude Shift on Blog Talk Radio with her co-hosts, Donna M. Butler and Haley Patterson, where they keep it real, raw and right on, bringing their audience incredible experts to share their knowledge to help the audience shift gears from a life of lack and limitation to one where life is a superbly great trip.

The Attitude Shift is the signature show of The Broke Wives Club. The mandate of the club is to reach out to women who are struggling in their lives, be it, financially, emotionally or spiritually, and coach, support, advise, lead by example, and encourage them to create a better life for themselves. To do that is to become aware of thoughts, feelings, behaviors and actions that result in stifling personal growth and limiting a person in creating a life of their dreams. The club's tagline say's it all - from broke to stoked and beyond.

Siobhan's been working in and producing and writing for projects in the wellness and self-improvement fields for over 15 years, including writing and leading program development and book projects including for the Bob Proctor group - Bob Proctor of 'The Secret' fame.

Her degree in Psychology from Bishops University gave her a strong foundation to enter this field. After college, she unknowingly was living a life less familiar when she left a new career as a commercial casting agent in Vancouver and became the pioneering force in the film and TV industry in the small communities of the Interior of British Columbia. She introduced film as a career to many fledgling actors, when she opened her own casting agency and acting school. She progressed from there to producing and casting commercials, corporate DVD's, and film projects, and in 2006 found herself as the associate producer of The Beast of Bottomless Lake - an independent feature film that has won multiple awards and starting April 6, 2011 will be run on a major cable channel for a period of 18 months. DVD's are soon to be released.

Most recently, she was invited to become the host of A Life Less Familiar, on The Women's Network. Siobhan is living a life less familiar to her, by choosing to live her life in a way that creates original thoughts, new actions and novel choices and pushing the boundaries of her comfort zone.

Siobhan can be reached on email: siobhan@siobhanshaw.com