Sharing

It's amazing that there is enough of everything on our planet. The thing is that we create the scarcity situation with our own behavior. There is enough food to feed every hungry person and give each one a shelter, and even provide basic health care and education for everyone. These are the basic requirements for human life and they are doable every year. We just choose not to do these—collectively. We opt not to do anything and therefore we are also responsible of our actions.

Our lifestyle is based on individualism and egoistic self-fulfilment. We live by consuming and trying to satisfy our needs by material means. Our well-being is dependent on how much we can consume and drive after our whatever desires. Or that's at least the way we live. Are we happier and more satisfied? Are we ever satisfied and feeling content with our lives? In postindustrial society, we should already be more than happy with all the possessions around us.

Unfortunately, the reality is the opposite. We are more lonely and lost than ever. We have fulfilled our lives with cold values and individualistic lifestyles that isolate us from other people and make us lonely and unhappy people without much purpose and meaning in our lives. Isn't this strange because we now have more time off than ever? A few hundred years ago, almost all people were in one way or another tied up to agricultural work in order to support themselves. Now we do not have to exert so much effort to feed ourselves and get a roof over our heads. The problem seems to be more a mental one nowadays. We have time to think and worry—physical labor is not keeping us occupied anymore.

Almost everyone lives in isolation, even when we are surrounded by lots of people. Our lifestyle is very self-orientated. We have learned to live without taking into consideration other people's circumstances. How else could we explain that every day we see people who are more in need and lost in their lives than we are, but we pretend not to see them? We cross the street or at least turn our eyes away. Out of sight, out of mind. Secretly we hope that we could be so fortunate that nothing like that would ever happen to us. How coldhearted is our way of living? And for what? How happy and content are we really because we do not care about other people? Isn't this a clear indication of an opposite state of matters?

Sharing is an amazing thing. The joy and happiness inside of us is universal for all of us, that idea of being able to give something without expecting something in return. When was the last time you gave of yourself? It does not have to be a big thing. Just a smile or unexpected nice words to start. Everybody wants to feel accepted and respected as human beings. After all, we are all humans and what we have does not define who we are. How many of us are human in our actions as well?

Do we really need all the material things and wealth we have for ourselves? Isn't there anything we could share with those who are in greater need than us? Big changes happen with small actions. We are the society and the nations; there is no government or institutions without us, the people. Therefore, it is our responsibility to define who we are. Doing nothing and accepting things the way they are is as big a statement as anything else. By letting people starve to death and die because of poor health care demonstrate more than anything else who we really are. We are ignorant and selfish. How else can we explain these things? The technology is well developed and proven to prevent these things from happening if there is a will to accomplish it. It's done already in Western societies. No excuses—let's face who we really are.

The important question is, are we going to change? Personally each and every one of us has to look into the mirror and answer the question for ourselves—have I done enough today, really? If not, then there is still a chance that there is something human left in us, which we could try to make bigger in time. Maybe we would feel a bit more content and happier about our lives as well? It's give-and-take—sharing.