Stop Taking Your Life For Granted | The Odyssey Online
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Politics and Activism

Stop Taking Your Life For Granted

Think before you speak.

10
Stop Taking Your Life For Granted
Anjali Patel

This morning you woke up and ate breakfast with or without your family and most likely had the news or cartoons playing in the background. You'll get on the bus or drive to school later for another day of a quality education. Have you ever thought about how privileged and blessed you are to start your morning this way?

Everyday we all complain about the loads of homework we get, classes, traffic, walks to class, updates on iPhones, Spotify and everything else under the sun.

Shut up.

There are seven billion people in this world and nearly half live in poverty while another billion live in extreme poverty. Do you know what that means? It means that they don't get iPhones, food, an education, cars or televisions. Could you imagine not going to school every morning? Could you imagine going to work instead of preschool? Could you imagine not being able to give anything to your family at the end of the day?

Probably not. You've probably heard people say this before, but take the time to about how blessed you are.

In college we complain about exams and papers, but they're actually blessings. The exams, papers and quizzes will prepare you for greater things. There are billions of people who would kill to be able to attend school and take exams. I bet they'd even do it with a smile on their face. Do you know what they get to do instead everyday? They get to walk miles for water. They fight for their lives every day. So, the next time you complain about the Starbucks line being too long, shut up and remember that there's someone walking more than four miles for a sip of water.

If you have a bed to sleep in, you are more blessed than half of the people on this planet. People don't realize what poverty is until they see it. It's not fair that there are four billion people in this world who don't get to live a real life. Instead, they have to fight for every breath they take while we sit and do little to nothing about it.

My favorite people are those who say "well that's their life, not our problem. It's not our fault that we are blessed." Excuse me, hello? Are you not human? Congratulations, you're blessed and it is their life. It may not be "your" problem. But, don't forget that you're lucky. The situation could have been reversed and you could have been the one living in poverty. Everything that you have could be snatched from you in a matter of seconds. Your family and children could be begging on the streets tomorrow. We are all humans and we should all help those in need. What is the point of having money concentrated in the hands of a very few elite on this planet? This is a concept I will never understand. Yeah, the people on this planet are all competing to be the best, and the richest, its human nature, but what if we all pitched in to help the other half of the world out? Would you rather concentrate money into the hands of an elite few, and see them smile or would you rather share that wealth and see the other half of the whole world smile as well?

If you're a billionaire and reading this article, try to find it in your heart to donate to a cause and help out humanity instead of buying yacht or mansion. I promise that the smile the money will bring to the families and children who receive it through scholarships, funds or food will be worth a million dollars. It will give you more joy than a boat or house ever could.

Overall, I'm disappointed in mankind. I'm disappointed how often people complain about things they should be grateful they have in their lives to complain about. I'm disappointed that people are unaware of how sheltered they are. People please come to your senses. If we work together, we have the opportunity to give many people the opportunity to live a full life, be educated and follow their dreams. By doubling the number of educated people in the world, we double the chances of finding a cure to cancer, ending hunger and so many other things can be possible!

Currently everyone is too worried about Donald Trump, equal rights, the latest gadgets coming out and money that they forgot about the people who need us the most:the people who have real problems like the constant bombing, natural disasters, enslavement and genocide.

If you read this article, it means you have access to the internet—which would mean you have a laptop, phone, or tablet. So, when you wake up tomorrow morning say thanks and mean it (don't do it for re-tweets and likes), because there are billions of people in the world who have nothing.


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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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