“There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them.”
-Denis Waitley
Poverty
Today I am delighted to be taking part in Blog Action Day, a day in which scores of bloggers from around the globe dedicate their blog post to a certain topic. The topic this year? Poverty.
This is my first time participating in something like this and it surely won’t be my last. With over 10,000 blogs participating, the audience being exposed to the topic of poverty is expected to be around 10 million people.
The fact that this day will raise 10 million individuals awareness about poverty is truly baffling. It is days like these that truly change the world.
Growing up in a very nice neighborhood in South Texas, I knew very little of the term “poverty” and it’s rampant existence throughout the world. Did one live a life of poverty when he didn’t have enough money to purchase the latest I-pod? Or the most expensive car? Did one live a life of poverty if one couldn’t afford the latest pair of basketball sneakers?
My lack of awareness on the global issue of poverty hindered my ability do my part in the much-needed transformation of the world. Unfortunately my lack of awareness and compassion is a very common perspective throughout the Western part of the world.
Within weeks of moving to Shanghai China, I quickly realized that my perspective on poverty was embarrassingly shallow. Because I had been blessed of living in a sheltered community much of my life, I lacked the understanding of how great the problem of poverty truly is.
Almost half the world lives on less than 2.50 dollars a day. I want you to reread that statement. Half of the entire world. Around 3 billion individuals live each day of their life spending nearly half of what it costs to buy one star-bucks coffee.
30-Hour Famine
Last year, I was fortunate enough to participate in a 30-hour famine organized by my school, and I can truly attest that this single experience altered the depths of my soul. Not only did we fast for 30 hours to remind ourselves what it’s like to be hungry, but we also took part in various activities to raise awareness through out the night.
For the last activity we were told to put red thumbprints on blank sheets of paper, 10,000 to be exact, and post them on the wall, upon completion we were told to take a moment to reflect.
Seeing the ten thousand thumbprints on the wall brought a rush of tears to my eyes. 10,000 children under the age of eight die each and every day because of starvation. 10,000 families are shattered each and every day.
Mothers and fathers have to witness their children pass despite their valiant efforts to provide just enough food for them to live another day. They need our help. As a result of partaking in the 30-hour famine a more global individual was born.
Poverty In The Real World:
By witnessing some of the more rural areas of China with my own two eyes, my conscious mind was forced to acknowledge that the problem of poverty does indeed exist, and that it was my responsibility to change it.
Poverty takes no sides, it exists virtually everywhere. To know that there are families out there whose literal purpose is to survive, truly breaks my heart. The sad thing is, it doesn’t have to be that way.
We have all the resources we need right at our fingertips, yet we continue to squander in the mist all the while another young child dies because he or she hasn’t eaten in days.
Poverty does not need to exist. It exists because the majority of humanity lacks courage. It is our responsibility as global citizens to raise awareness and take action.
In regard to attacking the beast of poverty all action is created equal. It doesn’t matter whether you go on a mission trip for 6 months, or just play free rice for 5 minutes a night. What matters is that you consciously accept the responsibility of riding the world of poverty.
For when our minds consciously accept something it automatically goes to work in order to create new solutions.
Poverty will continue to remain an unnecessary source of suffering in the world, until the nation of humanity decides it has had enough. Have you?
If you would like to learn more about poverty and what you can do to help stop it please visit:
88 Ways To Help Poverty
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