In 2015 there have been 19 wars worldwide and 223 armed conflicts (HIIK Conflict Barometer, 2015). Hunger, water shortage and work in slave conditions threaten the lives of millions of people. Inner emptiness, loneliness, social pressure and systemic exploitation threatens others from inside.
I often come in contact with people who believe humanity will inevitably self-destruct. Nevertheless, I also see another development. I see a new age, which was heralded by the likes of Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Bruce Lee and Nelson Mandela, and which is carried by activists all around the world and in our midst today. An age of giving.
I think this change is like a wave that draws us in inexorably and takes us to a world of abundance. This change starts with us today.
This article is about how you and I can be part of this movement and how we can live in a world of abundance today.
How do you want to die?
Memento Mori. Remember that you have to die. Many areas of Today’s society are about amassing possessions and taking as much of the world as possible without regard for consequences. I think this trend stems from us not being aware of our death. Advertising in the media and corporations give us the feeling that we could live forever. How do I want to live is an important question. I would like to add another question before though. How do I want to die? How do you want to die?
All of a sudden new thoughts come up with this question. Aware of my mortality it’s even more important to live the life of my dreams, to take risks and to refrain from a certain comfort. Now the question is not only what can we take from the world, but also, what can we give the world as long as we are here.
Another aspect distorting our perception of reality is our dependence on the ego. We often forget that we all depend on each other, that we are part of a whole system and are thus one with everyone and anything.
If I am I because you are you, and if you are you because I am I, then I am not I, and you are not you. By getting independent from our ego and addressing our lives holistically through giving, life is a game and the meaning of life becomes living life fully and enjoying it while we’re here. Conquering others, optimizing everything, putting ourselves under pressure and defeating death becomes irrelevant.
Self-Love
What seems like the polar opposite of giving in the first instant, shows itself to be a prerequisite. We can only give what we already have. Only when we love ourselves it’s possible to love others. How else will I love my neighbour as I love myself? For our lives this means that we pay attention to our own needs and that we do and ask for what is important to us personaly.
As I began to love myself I examined the categories of my life that are important to me and I started to optimize and balance my day to day life so that I get to live lots of magic moments. This is an ongoing process which gives me new force to be the man of my dreams and abundant energy which I’m than able to share with the Journey to Real Lie Community as well as with my neighbours.
The more the areas of life are in balance, the smoother life flows like wheel. Imagine what you could create with this additional energy. In which categories of your life could you love yourself more? In you professional life? In your relationshiop? In your health?
Here an inspiring poem about self-love the great British comedian Charlie Chaplin recited on his 70th birthday.
Age of Giving
By being aware of our mortality and loving ourselves we are able to give fully. Giving begins with our thoughts. A thought about what and how we want to give triggers a searies of actions. What do you want to give the world? What do you want to give to yourself? What do you want to give to others?
Thoughts themselves can also be passed on like seeds on a field and grow with attention and care.
Another good way to give is in the form of symbols and gestures. We do that when we make a gift to someone, when we support a project or a person financially, when we invite our friends to something or when we give our spouse a massage. How we give is often as important as what we give.
In giving through development cooperations help for self-help is an important concept. Giving shouldn’t have the consequence of creating dependencies. Unfortunately this is the case in many countries where development aid created dependencies that made it impossible to develop own economies. Much more, giving should support the other party to autonomously follow its personal goals.
In our daily consumption we can give through consciously purchasing and supporting fair goods like food, clothing and jewellery by paying the true cost of the products. The same goes with supporting projects and companies which missions we connect with.
A New World
As described in the introduction, with this process we can already live in the age of giving today and be part of this new world. This means a life in abundance with everything, which we need to live.
Scarcity is an illusion which restricts our thinking in the search for opportunities. When we focus on our fears we tend to freeze and it seems almost impossible for us to give. But when we focus on our opportunities the extent of our potential seems limitless. By transitioning from a world of passive consumption to a new world of active living we are part of the age of giving, part of a life in abundance.
What are your thoughts about change in our world?
Cheers,
Prosper
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