HOW INCLUSIVE IS YOUR LIFE?

What are your answers to these questions:

• Who are the five people you spend most time with?
• What are the five restaurants you frequent?
• What are your five favorite TV or Movie Shows?
• What are the five things you spend most time reading or learning about?

With my work, I have the pleasure of joining and attending a lot of events and conversations about the importance of diversity and inclusivity. There is no doubt about how important it is. But how often do we think beyond the workplace?

How many truly think about diversity in thoughts and not just physical diversity?

When you take a moment to answer the questions above, what do you see? To be open to the diversity of thoughts, it starts with how we experience things in our routine.

How do we envision seeing things differently if we have built a norm of doing the same thing? It is easier for us to be curious and rethink about our norms when we experience new things.

Think about food. I remember the time when Thai food was considered exotic food in America. Now, it is everywhere.

What about entertainment? I remember when there were barely any non-white character in most fiction I read or movies I watched in America, but never questioned why not. Now, it is nice to see that I can learn about different ethnicity, culture, sexuality, and perspectives without a second thought. What if we only exposed ourselves to one mindset and one group forever? How do you envision to see change or innovation?

If we want to talk about building a more inclusive culture at work, we have to go back to how we are being inclusive in our lifestyle. Take a moment and push yourself.

What is one thing you can do differently to try something new in your routine?