WE-BE MAGAZINE Fall 2013 | Page 18

Livin’ Heaven Here On Earth– It’s Our Choice Do you ever wonder what the world would look like if there were no bullying, no violence, no gossip, no wars, no issues nor problems? To most people this idea may seem like an extreme fantasy, the kind of story you hear of in children’s books alongside unicorns and candy houses. World peace is a dream that is dreamt by billions of people, however it always seems out of reach. Why is that? The common quote “be the change you wish to see in the world” may seem cliché but that is only because it is 100% true. For example, if you want to live in a world with no bullying, then have zero tolerance for it in your daily life. Alone you may not be able to stop bullying globally, but you can inspire others to have zero tolerance for it as well. It takes the same step for any other issue you may see in the world. Change what you can in your own life, and you plant the seed for much broader change. If it is so simple then why is our world still so full of issues? To wrap it up in 3 words, I would say it is mostly because of greed, envy and pride. Greed: An extensive ‘need’ for something, which is not truly needed. People (in general, not everyone) want the best for themselves. The best house, land, life, car, clothes, status, job, etc, But can you imagine if all we ever wanted was all those things for the people around us? Now I don’t mean everyone should go around giving away houses, money and jobs. I mean that if you want a high status in your social life, career, financially, etc., you don’t knock someone else down on your way up. Instead, work your way up the ladder by earning every step, not merely using others as stepping-stones, but lending a hand where you can to help bring them up alongside you. “WE-BE livin’ for givin’!” Envy: A sense of resentment-filled longing due to the want for someone else’s qualities or possessions. Envy can take up your mind and influence the way you view both yourself and others, as well as how you act. There are always two or more ways to look at others. You could be negatively envious of what another owns, how they look, or how they act. This may influence you to start to dislike the other person simply because of your want for, and resentment of what the other has. An alternative way to view another is to admire what they own, how they look, and how they act. The admiration you would have would replace the hate, and maybe even motivate you to improve yourself in the ways you wish to be more like the other person. I do not mean that everyone should go around copying each other to ‘improve’. I mean that we can simply admire others and use that admiration to motivate ourselves to be the best we can be. “WE-BE turnin’ admiration into inspiration!”