When we journey out of our comfort zones, without much effort, we find that we are gaining perspective every day. We get a glimpse of how truly blessed and fortunate we are, and perhaps how much we take for granted in this life.
I was brushing my teeth this morning and had a sudden moment of fear as I cupped a mouthful of water from my hand and tossed it in my mouth to rinse. I suddenly realized that I had used the water from the faucet and not from my water bottle. And then I felt a wave of relief when I remembered that I was back in the United States, and it was safe to use the drinking water!
Traveling to countries outside of our own is a great way to appreciate all that you have in this life. Some of our readers live in places where they do not share the same luxuries as we do. Across the globe children and their families struggle every day to simply survive. Just the small act of brushing our teeth with the water from the faucet is a blessing, seriously!
One of my teachers shares a story about a young boy in a third world country that was amazed that we have so much water in our country, that we use it for elimination. Granted, he did not use the word elimination, but you get the point right? How about that for gaining perspective! Some children have no water to drink, and we literally flush clean water down the drain. I know for a fact that when she told us this story, my classmates and I think about it every time we flush. If it’s yellow let it mellow…I’m just saying…
My intention is never to bring you down, only to enlighten you to some of the things that we take for granted. We get so caught up in our stories and our personal dramas that we fail to look at the big picture. We become jaded by the media and attached to our political issues here. Nothing is perfect, but trust me, as someone that travels to countries less fortunate, we have very little to complain about.
Be thankful for your health and your wealth, no matter how big or small it may seem to you. Be of service when you can, and never stop gaining perspective.