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March 2022 | Issue No. 12

What Does a Bee Have to do With a Kinder World?

For many years, I’ve heard similar stories from local business owners and residents about how things are changing in Santa Barbara. Granted this change has been going on for thirty years, but since COVID, it’s become far more obvious. More and more, sadly, we’re experiencing and witnessing behaviors that are rude, pushy, less tolerant and more entitled. But what if we, as local business owners and residents, came up with a set of kinder, more life-affirming values that establish clear expectations around codes of conduct prior to walking into and engaging with a business? I’ve been pondering this question for months, and then finally it hit me….in the shower of all places! Beatitudes…like “be kind, be fair, etc.” But then I remembered that Beatitudes are sayings attributed to Jesus, and that’s not exactly what I had in mind. So I started playing around with the word “be” and came up the “Bee-Attitudes for Santa Barbara Businesses”:

Coincidentally, the bee in Bee-Attitudes turns out to be more than a play on words. The bee symbolizes, among many other notable traits, industry, hard work, teamwork, prosperity, generosity and setting an example.

“Bees have an uncompromising dedication to their vision and pursue it with a purposeful passion. The bee is also a symbol of doing work you love and providing a product or service that you’re proud of. In a world where there are givers and takers, bees are givers. These tiny beings are all about giving more than their fair share. As such they are a constant reminder to be generous with your time, your presence, your patience, your affection, and in so many other ways.” 1

We all know that bees live in colonies. But did you know that each bee performs an important role for the greater benefit of the colony? “The bee is more honored than other animals not because she labors…but because she labors for others.” 2

Many of our local businesses are understaffed, and their employees are overworked and under-resourced. They are doing the best they can with what they have, and they can use a little extra compassion, patience and kindness. I hope you’ll consider the “bee” and her “bee-attitudes” when visiting them. I am confident that practicing Bee-attitudes are one way we can contribute to creating a kinder world of commerce and, ultimately, a kinder community.

1 Kristen Stanton is founder of UniGuide a platform that explores our relationship with nature and why we are here.
2 Saint John Crysostam was an important Early Church Father who served as archbishop of Constantinople and was known for his denunciation of abuse of authority by both ecclesiastical and political leaders.
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