Yes, I do feel the world is a mess. I could quote statistics, but I am sure you
already are aware of this. Our life experiences mold who we are today and in
the future. I for one am concerned about the world that our children and grandchildren are growing up in. I sometimes feel our society is on a path of destruction.
How did we get here? What has happened? Can we stop the path of destruction?
Of course, we can. We just need to take a new and positive approach. We need to look at things from a slightly different perspective.
Take progress for instance. It can improve the well-being of all of us. When we progress as a society everyone benefits. We also all know not everyone is interested in “making the world a better place” so to speak, but instead only care about personal goals, political power and of course money. In other words, they do not care about the rest of the world because the focus and goals only revolve around them. There are many good things that have come in the name of progress. Some examples are, greater life expectancy, infant mortality has been reduced, our food supply has grown, safe water is in much of the world and there’s more access to healthcare and education as well. The abuse of workers, exploiting poorer nations, horrible war atrocities and genocide has been named “progress” but we all know it’s not. Would you consider cell phones progress? Many would say yes! But in reality, our relationship with others isn’t any better. The human touch is missing in our world. Thank you cards, birthday cards, Christmas cards, letters of gratitude & encouragement are mostly a thing of the past. We now “text” a few words with an emoji and feel that’s enough. In my eyes that is not “progress” it is laziness and convenience.
Social media also has its good and bad points. The good points are you can keep in touch with friends and family that live far away from you. You can catch up on the latest news in just a few minutes, ask for help in an emergency, or find new recipes. Those are all good things, but social media has also been linked to anxiety, depression, bullying, and can cause isolation with no human contact. Social Media in some instances does not improve our relationships but destroys them, hurts and humiliates them.
We as a whole need a new approach in order to solve the problems of our society. We all need to try to do better. There are ways to do this, such as kindness, compassion, generosity, love, forgiveness, empathy and more human contact along with more friendships! In order for the future of our world to be a bright & better place we need to bring back humanity. Caring about our communities, our neighbors, offering a helping hand and of course smiling!
All of these simple things have the power to lift spirits and give hope.
Albert Einstein’s observation was “No problem can be solved from the same consciousness that created it.” We cannot only have material consciousness in a world that is starving for love, acceptance and compassion. Politics, technology, and economics will not address our greatest challenges if we are all focused on material wealth. That within itself as we know can and does create more problems in our world. Instead, we should make sure no child goes to bed hungry. We need to make sure the elderly are taken care of and not thrown aside because they are no longer of use in our society, The sick need to get the medical attention they need without going bankrupt. We need to make sure our children and grandchildren are educated. We must spread love and kindness. That alone can make a day brighter. Let us start a ripple effect and help to change the world and make it a better place for everyone.
Lastly, I do not think we should be biased against simple things. It is usually the simple things that spring hope, bring back fond memories, and happiness. Bigger mindset is not always better. It can lead to selfishness, unhappiness, and lead us to make poor decisions. Instead build goodwill and share a friendly, but cooperative and healthy attitude.
The “Ripple Effect” can help to change the world!
Lori Pica