photo credit: teadrinker
We could all use a reality check from time to time. This is healthy on a daily basis. Just today I got caught up in thinking about all the things I have to do and all my problems. I could use a reminder that compared to most problems of the world, my problems are minuscule.
If you are reading this, then we both have a lot to be thankful for. We have been provided with luxuries and wealth far beyond the dreams of most people living just a few generations ago, and even beyond the dreams of many people living in the world today.
Living in the USA is wonderful. We have our problems. Still, we live in one of the best countries in the world. For people reading this in other countries, you need a computer and Internet access to read this. Only 20% of the world’s population has access to the Internet, so you are already in the top 20%. A quarter of the world’s population lives without electricity. Imagine that!
Travelling in Europe has taught me that in the USA, we take so many things for granted and have far more common luxuries than other 1st world countries. These are things that we don’t even think about as luxuries. Hot water that works well and the best showers in the world. Heat in our homes that works well. Air Conditioning. Discretionary income to go buy a latte from Starbucks or whatever, and to go out to eat when we want. We have the cheapest and best cars in the world, and the cheapest gas.
The basic stuff like clean water. Half of the world’s population does not have ready access to clean water. We can just turn on a faucet and get water clean enough to drink at anytime we want, in any quantity we want. An abundance of food of almost every type you could possibly want. What if there was a place where you could get just about any type of food that you could want from anywhere in the world? There are about half a dozen of these supermarkets within just a few miles of my home.
We live in the best time historically to have ever lived. Our life expectancy and quality of life is better than any time in history. In the 1700s, the average life span was 30 years. Now, it is in the 80s. Life expectancy has even seen noticeable increases in the past 50 years and is continuing to increase.
Although many refer to the “health care crisis” that this country is facing, the facts are that the health care we take for granted today was not even available a generation ago.
“Hard work” is another thing that has changed quite a bit through the years. It used to mean physically demanding labor, 10-12 hour days of back-breaking work. Today, it means sitting in front of a computer for 8 hours a day. I don’t even think that most of the US population could survive if they had to go back to doing real “work”. We’re just too spoiled.
It is healthy to remind ourselves of these things and most importantly to give thanks for what we have. It puts things in perspective, and allows us to see how well off we really are. This reminds me of a great quote.
“When you are grateful fear disappears and abundance appears” - Anthony Robbins
If you want to be notified the next time I write something, subscribe via email or subscribe to the RSS feed. Thanks for reading.
Tags: Positive Attitude, reality check, wealth