We all want happiness

It is so easy living in the bubble that is the United States to forget how good we have it.  People all over the world are desperate for clean water and electricity, desperate for food and human rights.  People in the United States use the terms “dying of thirst” and “I’m starving” far too loosely.  We have more ease and comfort at our finger-tips than anyone and we still can’t manage to be happy.  Expectations rise with the standard of living.  The United States does give a lot of aid to foreign countries, but I wonder what the ratio is of resources taken versus aid given.  If I had to wager a guess, I would put my money on the resources taken being a far larger figure.  It’s easy to say we are SO generous because we’ve given X billion dollars to this and that, but the reality is, the ONLY thing we as United States citizens don’t take more than our share of is responsibility.

If prosperity is what you desire, wish prosperity for your neighbor.  If happiness and peace is what you want, desire that for your enemy and they will cease to be your enemy. The world is getting so small that soon it will be like everyone is living in the same house and we’ll need to figure out how to get along.  You don’t want to throw a stink bomb in your own house.   Where are we going to put the trash?  How does it make you feel that your comfort means another’s suffering?  Imagine yourself sitting at a dinner table with four people, you have a four coarse meal, everyone else eats rice.  Enjoy that steak, you’ll probably throw half of it away right in front of their faces.