Article Contributed on: 10/22/2007 6:30:12 PM
The earth is round, but the world is lopsided. The problem with the world is "enough." Too many do not have enough. Others have more than enough. For some, enough is never enough.
The world does not have enough respect, tolerance, acceptance, morality, justice, compassion, charity, hope and love.
The world has more than enough prejudice, bigotry, racism, ignorance, aggression, discrimination, greed, manipulation and hunger for power.
Only by examining the positives in our world can we begin to understand the negatives. The world is a mecca of prosperity and opportunity. The wrong is that all citizens of the world are not able to access the myriad offerings of the universe.
Leadership is a positive. Insatiable appetite for power takes the challenges of leadership in the wrong direction. Leadership combined with knowledge and power, and focused outwardly, could benefit all of mankind. Too often leadership is used within a narrow purpose, benefiting a minority, to the detriment of the majority.
Progressive change is a positive. However, change creates fear and opposition, which translates into confrontation and war. The conflict of war results in displacement, deprivation, dismemberment and death. A world landscape riddled with self serving wars cannot thrive and live up to its potential promise for all citizens.
Religion is a positive. Religion carried to extremes is dangerous. It is not the religious belief itself, but the intolerance for any other belief which creates havoc. The insidious extremism and evil of terrorism holds the entire world and all it's citizens hostage.
Freedom is a positive. Unfortunately, too many citizens of the world are chained in the prisons of poverty and discrimination and never get to taste freedom.
What can we do to counteract the lopsided condition of the world? It is time to expand our thinking and perceptions to a global view. We can no longer call ourselves just "Americans." We are citizens of the world. Intellectually, financially, politically and environmentally we have an impact on the world, through interaction and the ripple effect. Modern technology brings us closer and closer with our world citizen counterparts. Everything we do, and don't do, affects their lives, and vice versa.
It is too large and overwhelming an issue to ponder. We can break it down into manageable increments. We each have our own little corner of the world. By taking intellectual, emotional, financial and environmental responsibility, together we can make a big dent. Think of it as the "If everyone lights just one little candle" philosophy, or the "Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me" principle.
It costs nothing to practice tolerance, acceptance, charity. It is a minor sacrifice to conserve, recycle, share, volunteer. We reap benefits by absorbing the cost of becoming educated, informed, active participants on the world stage. How to facilitate peace and prosperity for all of our global family should be the priority agenda. In the words of Robert F. Kennedy, "There are those who look at things the way they are and ask why.... I dream of things that never were and ask why not?"
It is easy to rant about what "others" are not doing to bring about world peace and stamp out poverty and discrimination. It is difficult to smile while we are ranting and ruminating. The ripple effect of a simple smile goes a long way toward world peace. Smile, pass it on.... You have just made a tiny contribution toward creating a circle of love, which will help our lopsided world fit into our lovely round earth.
On a more practical note, the world can never be perfect, but what is wrong with this world will right itself, to some extent, when we become committed to the determination "Enough is enough!"