Perspective to be Thankful
Blessed. There is no denying it. I need perspective, so I share this talking to myself first! There are some basic things I can take for granted.
My 1st world problems are… well, not really problems in comparison...
- 780 million people lack access to safe drinking water. That’s 11% of the world. (water.org)
- 100 million people worldwide are homeless. (global homelessness statistics)
- 1 billion people lack access to a health care system.
- 5.3 billion people live in areas with harsh religious restrictions. (familyshare.com)
- 25% of the world lives without electricity, out of lack of access or ability to afford.
- $32,400 of annual income places you in the top 1% of the world. Afghanistan’s average income is $50 per year. (Investopedia.com)
We can be paralyzed by the reality of living in the top 1% of the world’s economic status. Conceptually, it is beyond our ability to help the 99%. Where do we start?
“We are blessed to be a blessing to others.”
But how? Sir Isaac Newton’s third law of motion: for every action there is a reaction. A challenge to myself and you- What action could we take over Thanksgiving to cause a good reaction in another? A smile or kind word, buy someone’s coffee for them, select a child to sponsor? https://www.visiontrust.org/sponsor/
Large or small, we can open our eyes to the 99% and offer an act of kindness. The smallest gesture in our self-saturated culture can go a long way.
I wish you a great Thanksgiving!
With gratitude and thankfulness,
Luke Fields, CFP®