We get up each day and try to envision the list of things we have to do. Sometimes the list is short, sometimes long, and sometimes, overwhelming! Our minds are filled with thoughts about our lives, loved ones, responsibilities, obligations. We focus on the community or neighborhood in which we live and forget there’s a big world out there. Many of us limit the scope to our immediate surroundings, city, state and country, living in a bubble; in a comfort zone that doesn’t allow us to see outside the bubble and to envision the world. I encourage you to start viewing the world in a different way starting tomorrow morning when you wake up. I’m not telling you to do what I do, but sharing how I start my day may give you some ideas of how you can can start to see our incredible planet and its inhabitants.

Every morning when I wake up, I thank our Creator for allowing me enjoy another day on this beautiful planet. There may be billions of galaxies out there with living beings or other forms of life similar to or different than us. It would be exciting to discover them, but as long as humans have existed, we have not discovered another planet like ours. In the meantime, I feel that we have this extraordinary gift of life to experience the beauty of this planet. It has everything to sustain us, though many of our fellow brothers and sisters lack the basic necessities such as water, food and shelter. There is great abundance in this country of almost everything you can think of. Yet, with all of this goodness and abundance, we get wrapped up in our own world and forget those around the world who are less fortunate.

When I turn on my tap with the filter attached, to have a glass of water, I think of millions of people who do not have access to clean water, far less, filtered water. I make sure that I do not waste a drop of water as it comes pouring out if the faucet. And I am so mindful when I take a shower so as not to waste any. As I sit in the comfort of my home, I realize there are others who are living on the streets, in shelters, parks and other places with nothing to eat or drink. While enjoying a hot shower, I think of others who have not had a shower in a long while because there is no access to water. And while getting dressed, I think of those walking around in rags, no shoes and the only clothes they have are what’s on their back. My pantry and my fridge are full of food, but I think of those who are hungry around the world, even in our own country. I take some time to span the globe in my mind and make a mental note of those less fortunate and send a prayer out into the universe to make their lives better. I can take a bus, train, car or plane for transportation, but there are so many people who walk for miles and miles to get to a destination and they don’t complain. Yet, if a bus or train is late, we get anxious, frantic, upset.

We are all interconnected, no matter where we are in this world. We all want the same things – a job, food, shelter, dignity, justice, education…. The internet and smartphones have brought us closer so that we can now understand how humans are more similar than different. A person’s action half-way around the world, terrorism, for example, can have an impact on us and shake us out of our comfort zone. A serious medical outbreak in one country on the other side of the globe can reach us in a day just by someone getting on a plane and landing here within hours. Covid-19 is an example.  And a country that is flexing its nuclear capabilities can make us sit up straight and think of our future, because if that happens, there will be no more planet Earth.

We need to all get involved and fix the fixable things in this world. Globalization is here to stay. We’re not so far apart or different or isolated anymore. So when you rise tomorrow morning, while you’re having that cup of coffee, packing lunch, getting dress, allow your mind to take a quick world tour as you prepare for the day. Give thanks for what you have, share what you have, and pray for others who are less fortunate. Although we are better off than some, we are no better than anyone.

So, it’s time to get out of the bubble, raise our awareness and embrace our world!

Wishing you peace and love,

Sharon