Our Crisis Part 1

It's extremely easy these days to become frustrated. Our car won't start, our coffee maker just isn't doing it's job as well , our favorite sports team has lost. We essentially allow the minute things to bog us down and keep us there. Why? I think that is a crucial question we need to ask ourselves. Why do the minuscule details of our everyday lives transform into the tragic epicenters of our existence? A common trend that I have seen develop amongst our generation today is the level of self engrossment and indulgence. We are strictly concerned with "I" rather than "we." If this formula is one that should guarantee happiness, then why isn't it working? Why do the little things upset us? The answer I think is pretty transparent. We vehemently refuse to believe that there is more out there. We deny the fact that there are people, problems and changes BIGGER than ourselves. In fact, why should we even care? If an issue isn't directly affecting us in any which way, then chances are it never will. Poverty? Pshh, we throw our hands up and claim " not my problem". Human trafficking? We read about it in a brief article and shake our heads in disgust, but we rush back to our lives and tuck it away into the back of our subconscious. Another common technique of withdrawal is shifting the blame onto other people or philosophies. Our politicians and state senators are the ones that should be dealing with the genocide in Rwanda, not me. They are the ones that have to be aware of the issue and address it appropriately. Not me. Or, the reason these people are placed in these situations is Karma. They have committed a heinous sin in their last life and incurred this treatment onto their selves. It's not an issue of me, it's God's will. Then there's the classic-- "Well, what difference can I really make?" philosophy. I am just one person with one idea. Let's just say that if Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr. or Mahatma Gandhi had that ideology dictating their thought process, we would most probably be in a worse situation than we are in today. We clearly are more equipped to design alternatives that deviate from addressing certain issues rather than immerse ourselves within the issues. I believe that regardless of these tactics we attempt to employ with hopes of rejecting the acknowledgement of the turmoil that the world is plagued with today, we lack a more significant trait that is the cause for all of our denial. We lack a sense of RESPONSIBILITY. We don't feel responsible for knowing or even being able to construct some form of aide to these causes. We have no sense of brotherhood anymore. It has solely become about US. We live for today and die tomorrow. We owe nothing to this world. Nothing. Regardless of the fresh air we breathe, the sunshine we bask in, that's ours! Ours for keeping. Give back? Why? We don't owe anyone anything, we have gotten everything we have acquired on our own, on our own terms at our own leisure. Humanity is at stake. You can hop on a plane right this second, and fly to Cambodia and purchase a young girl for approximately $150.00 US. You will give your money, get the girl and receive a receipt for your purchase. YOU CAN BUY A HUMAN BEING. If this doesn't strike you as distortion in humanity, I'm not sure what will. You can at any time read "stories" like this about the happenings around the globe. Now, back to us. As expected. How can helping someone other than ones in our comfort zone benefit us? Well, first off that is the wrong approach, but lets run with it for a minute. Being involved in something other than ourselves can be the most rewarding thing one can do. Knowing that you have given back to humanity in one small way or the other can give you a long lasting sense of fulfillment. In fact, ask yourself, when was the last time you were selfless? I mean completely selfless, not participating in an incident where you benefited at least in one small aspect or another. The last time you did something for someone or something solely because you wanted to? Being involved in a cause, a true cause in humanity can give you a more prolonging feeling of happiness. It won't fade away as quickly as getting that new phone. Knowing that you changed someones life in some small way can mean more than you would ever expect it. It gives you direction, a renewed sense of existence. From time to time, we ask ourselves, or should ask ourselves, WHY? Why are we here today? We tend to usually resort to this when our backs are against the wall and we think our world is ending...why me?? Why have I gotten into this car accident? Why did I get a "C"? Why couldn't it have been me that won the lottery? We rush to victimize ourselves rather than reassert the fact that we might have in fact been the catalyst all along. Yes, I do understand that in many cases, there are incidents where things are beyond our control, but in more times than others they're elements which we control. We allow ourselves to become affected by these issues, rather than affect or transform issues ourselves. There is more to life than us, more to life than today. We need to establish a stronger tie to humanity. A stronger will to live. A stronger US. We need to become part of the solution, not the problem. And you just never know, in doing so, you might just find a stronger more refined YOU.