Poverty - Blog Action Day 2008
Poverty.
What pictures spring to mind when you think of poverty? Perhaps a street person in your town who is dirty and a little scary. Or a single mom who is doing her best to raise four kids in a 1-bedroom, run-down apartment on the dangerous side of town. What about those starving children from the TV commercials with the swollen stomachs and the big, hungry eyes.
These people feel a strong need for basic resources like money, food or shelter. It's probably the central thought of their lives and drives most of their daily actions.
Now I'd like to ask you to look at a different part of town with me. Let's zoom over to the "right" side of the tracks where, over the past few weeks, America has been in the midst of an economic crisis that has caused a serious drop in confidence among its citizens. Lack of confidence affected the stock market resulting in record drops. Everywhere I go someone tells me a story about losing $20,000 in their 401k in one day. They are suddenly in real fear of losing their job, of not being able to make the mortgage payment, or belong to the right clubs.
We are in a panic of national proportions, fanned by the media and the current government. It's a different kind of poverty, but just as real and pervasive: an impoverished spirit. With so many people thinking about what is lacking or threatened in their life, we are bound for some pretty hopeless times unless we can turn this trend around. If you're reading this you probably have a computer and a place to live rather than a cardboard box under a bridge. You can fight your feeling of poverty by being grateful for what you do have and for all the success you have achieved in your life. What will it hurt to be optimistic in the face of this panic? What if everyone was a little more optimistic today?
My personal challenge for today is to be deeply happy and grateful, and to spread hope to the people who are suffering from spiritual poverty. We can only make the world, and poverty, better by our thoughts of abundance, our optimistic words, and our hope-filled deeds. Will you join me?
My Kiva Start Up
This post is part of Blog Action Day 09 - Climate Change
This post is part of Blog Action Day 08 - Poverty
What pictures spring to mind when you think of poverty? Perhaps a street person in your town who is dirty and a little scary. Or a single mom who is doing her best to raise four kids in a 1-bedroom, run-down apartment on the dangerous side of town. What about those starving children from the TV commercials with the swollen stomachs and the big, hungry eyes.
These people feel a strong need for basic resources like money, food or shelter. It's probably the central thought of their lives and drives most of their daily actions.
Now I'd like to ask you to look at a different part of town with me. Let's zoom over to the "right" side of the tracks where, over the past few weeks, America has been in the midst of an economic crisis that has caused a serious drop in confidence among its citizens. Lack of confidence affected the stock market resulting in record drops. Everywhere I go someone tells me a story about losing $20,000 in their 401k in one day. They are suddenly in real fear of losing their job, of not being able to make the mortgage payment, or belong to the right clubs.
We are in a panic of national proportions, fanned by the media and the current government. It's a different kind of poverty, but just as real and pervasive: an impoverished spirit. With so many people thinking about what is lacking or threatened in their life, we are bound for some pretty hopeless times unless we can turn this trend around. If you're reading this you probably have a computer and a place to live rather than a cardboard box under a bridge. You can fight your feeling of poverty by being grateful for what you do have and for all the success you have achieved in your life. What will it hurt to be optimistic in the face of this panic? What if everyone was a little more optimistic today?My personal challenge for today is to be deeply happy and grateful, and to spread hope to the people who are suffering from spiritual poverty. We can only make the world, and poverty, better by our thoughts of abundance, our optimistic words, and our hope-filled deeds. Will you join me?
My Kiva Start Up
This post is part of Blog Action Day 09 - Climate Change
This post is part of Blog Action Day 08 - Poverty
So true Leslie. I hear people talk of how we are in a economic crunch and there is a need now to focus on basic needs spending i.e, ipod monthly payments, internet access, monthly payments on the extended warranty (mind you..these are basic needs payments) I agree that we can all be grateful. I've seen what others would consider poverty being from Nigeria..but for the people living over there. Its just living.
I am always the optimist... the market will correct with conservation, exploration, and/or consumer choices.
Humm... interesting,
If countries didnt have such debts to pay then im sure things could turn around and poor countries could at least become fruitful,
Anyway, thanks for the post
Having read your post, I came to conclusion that it does make sense to follow your advice.