Altruism.
It’s one of the most important words I learned while studying genetics and evolution.
By its principals, it supports the very idea that none of us would be here without each other’s kindness. Somewhere, sometime, someone saved one of your ancestors from certain death so that you could be here today. Maybe someone even risked (or lost!) their own life so that your ancestors could survive and you could be here. That’s still such a raw truth to me. We exist because of one anothers’ kindness.
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When I travel, I’m reminded of just how much there truly is to go around. I’m also constantly hit over the head with this fact: the idea that we need to be greedy because ‘there aren’t enough resources’ or there’s ‘not enough money’ or ‘not enough land’ is a complete fallacy.
From my understanding, money isn’t going to run out: it stopped being backed by gold a long time ago and they keep printing more of the stuff every day. There are countless opportunities to make it! There are millions of acres of untouched fertile land. There are zillions of experiences out there you can create for yourself to enrich your life. Someone else’s success is also your success because they are paving the way for YOU.
Photo by Cameron Offer
No one should be driven to hate. No one should feel driven to take anything (rights, land, lives, opportunities) from another person. Because when one of us wins, we ALL win. And when one of us loses, we ALL lose. We’re here to pave the way for each other. We always have been. Yes, of course population density and hatred and its consequences are real.
So, what can we do about that?
We can acknowledge that human kindness is also real. We can prove it to other people by being the example.
You can choose to do better than your parents did. You can choose to define justice for yourself in a positive way. You can choose to create the world you wish existed. You can creative positive, important things, instead of dwelling in negative thoughts. You can acknowledge that people face different challenges than you do – in your words as well as your actions. You can be different than how you were taught to be.
Love is real. Miracles are real, too and they’re happening every single day. It’s a miracle that we all woke up this morning. It’s a miracle that we can do better than we did yesterday. Our choices change the world. If you want to see a change, start to change. No justice, no peace.
Here’s my challenge:
Start creating miracles instead of denying them.
Start appreciating daily miracles instead of allowing anger get the best of you. You don’t need to deny reality. You need to swallow reality, then be exactly what you want the world to be, and the world will start to reflect you. Acknowledge that someone saved your ancestors so you could live.
Appreciate that fact in everyone you meet.
THAT’s where change begins.
You got this, my love. Now go live it.
Health & Happiness,
Tara