DAY 18 – BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR A BETTER LIFE AND BETTER WORLD

I am listening to a radio talk show about problems people are having and the term better life came up a few times. I have heard people over and over again say they want a better life and want to live in a better world. The one thing I never heard was no one had defined what constitutes a better life and better world.

As I started to think about this the answer seemed to be right in front of me for my entire life. Dealing with everyday living did not allow me to break life down into simple to understand categories. It was as if I was incapable of realistically seeing the forest while taking a walk in the forest. The obvious wasn’t so obvious only because I was constantly doing things in the moment that took me away from seeing life in its totality.

To comprehend what are the component parts that make life better, I began to observe people in their everyday lives. I saw what they were doing and asked them what they wanted out of life. In most cases people are living their lives in very similar fashion and wanting the same things.

After many months of watching and listening, a few things stood out. First and foremost, people require water, food, shelter and clothing in order to survive. People interact and have personal relationships with other people and want harmony to occur within their interactions and relationships. People are members of various nationalities, races, religions, ethnicities and sexual orientations and want harmony to exist between people belonging to these different groups. People enjoy having and doing certain things and personal wants are a significant part of everyone’s life. People need physical health and psychological wellness. People need an education and knowledge about life. Society as a whole requires a transportation system and an energy supply. Finally, and an absolute necessity, is a clean and sustainable earth.

Our economic and governmental systems are all related to fulfilling, in one form or another, these basic requirements. Whether it is research, mining of the earth’s resources, manufacturing and distribution of materials and products or governmental actions, humanity uses our time and efforts in an attempt to help make life better. Most of the time our actions are beneficial but there are situations where they do not meet the challenges to fix problems or they create new and unintended difficulties.

When a specific aspect of life appears disjointed and problematic we can now look at something not working properly in one or more of these nine areas. Solutions to human difficulties that previously seemed intermittent, elusive or non-existent can now be thought of differently because we can now analyze life from the perspective of a holistic harmony that leads to an individual inner harmony based on achieving these nine basic requirements.

After thinking about the term better life I now realize that the life and world that human beings desire is directly related to each and every human being achieving all of these nine basic requirements.

DAY 19 – BASIC REQUIREMENT: SURVIVAL NEEDS

I had a dream last night. I am sitting on a chair at my kitchen table about to eat breakfast. When I look down at the plate there is no food on it. When I take the cup in my hand, there is nothing in it to drink. I go to a closet to change my clothes and it is empty. I walk into another room and there is no furniture. I then found myself in a field because the house I live in is gone.

Too many people on this planet find themselves in such a plight as I was in this dream. They do not have nutritious food to eat, clean water to drink, an adequate home to live in and the necessary clothing to wear for the climate they live in. Their lives are not what they want it to be and beyond what any human being should endure.

Food, water, shelter and clothes are a basic requirement for survival. The people living today who can easily meet this requirement sometimes do not fully appreciate how fortunate they are. They can pay for a comfortable place to call home. They can go to a store and use some of their money to acquire food to eat and clothing to wear. They can turn on a faucet in their home and water comes pouring out. They are not burdened by any uncertainty that they will go without the basic survival needs.

The harsh reality is that when we go back through the millenniums, there were large numbers of our ancestors who have had to face the fact that they may not have food to eat that day or into the near future. There would be no water easily accessible for them. The place they call home may be nothing more than a hut with little or nothing at all to make it more comfortable while wearing the same clothes day after day. Many of our fellow twenty-first century human beings still find themselves in a similar predicament.

Living in an age of the greatest technological advancements that humanity could ever imagine puts us in a position of needing to remedy the disparities between those who can easily meet their survival needs and those who cannot. The desire for a better life and better world is as universal now as it had been for our ancestors throughout the ages. When the most basic of requirements for a better life falls short in a modern world we as a collective species have to correct it.

When I awoke from this dream I now realize that the ability to have nutritious food to eat, clean water to drink, a comfortable home to live in and clothing to wear is an essential requirement for a better life.

DAY 20 – BASIC REQUIREMENT: HARMONIOUS INTERACTIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS

While on vacation in a major city of one million people in a foreign country I began walking around the town. I wanted to see how the citizens of this country interacted compared to my fellow countrymen. It soon became obvious that while human interactions and relationships vary in substance as well as in depth depending upon the individual people involved and the circumstances at hand, people everywhere find it more pleasant when they get along with their fellow human beings.

The world is made up of billions of human beings with everyone being a complete stranger to one another until an initial interaction occurs at which point a new and unique set of dynamics unfolds. Everyone’s interactions can run the gamut from seeing someone in passing, those who we have a brief conversation with and never see again, people who we occasionally meet, those who we work with for a period of time and lose contact with afterwards, neighbors who we talk to and those special people who we care about and have a meaningful and long lasting relationship with. In each case, human interactions are a daily occurrence and a significant part of everyone’s life.

There are common aspects to all interactions and relationships. The first one is that there is a beginning and an end to each and every one of them. What happens from the first moment two people cross paths to the last second they go their separate ways determines whether an individual interaction or a long term relationship has a harmonious or disharmonious tone to them.

In every situation and with every person we come in contact with harmony is required for the people involved to come away with a sense of satisfaction and positive feelings. Inconsideration, arguments and physical altercations do not lend themselves to such a state of mind and feelings. A better life and better world is contingent upon treating one another with kindness, consideration and respect, whether they are the people we love or a stranger in passing.

The people we love, family members and close friends fill our hearts with joy. They are the ones we think about more than anyone else. They are the ones we want to spend more time with and devote ourselves to. The type of individual interactions that have accumulated over time with those we hold so dear plays an enormous role in how the relationship develops over time.

In every relationship there is a series of interactions that both people are part of. Whenever two people come together, such as a child with his or her parents, spouses, people dating, friends, co-workers or neighbors, each encounter can be considered a separate and unique event. While most individual interactions with the people we spend more time with go smoothly and both people find it to their liking, some individual interactions may turn unpleasant with harsh words spoken or violent actions undertaken.

Every human being expects to be treated with dignity and respect no matter who they are interacting with. The verbal abuse of being yelled at, cursed at or demeaned does nothing but make the object of such abuse upset and disheartened. Having someone lie will shatter the trust that has been built up. Being physically or sexually assaulted will instill fear for the individual who inflicts such pain. Instead of being the recipient of behavior that inflicts distress and tears away at the inner core of the person who experiences it there is a universal human desire to be treated in a manner that is psychologically and emotionally uplifting.

When I got back to my hotel room after spending hours observing people I now realize that I need to show everyone kindness, consideration and respect. Having harmonious interactions and relationships with my fellow human beings is an essential component for a better life and better world.

DAY 21 – BASIC REQUIREMENT: HARMONY BETWEEN GROUPS

I am taking a history course in high school. This week’s assignment is to prepare a paper about human diversity around the planet and its significance to major historical conflicts. The first thing I could think of is that people live in different nations, believe in different religions, are of different races, have different ethnic backgrounds and have different sexual orientations. In every case, human beings either live in peace or are at odds with those who are members of a different group.

When people belong to a group they have a sense that they are part of the bigger whole of that group. There is an identification that takes place where members feel more comfortable and at ease with people who are like themselves. This comfortability then works its way into uniting people and helping fellow group members. Such a mindset becomes the difference between more or fewer problems.

On the other end of the spectrum, many problems occur because of such identification. People often show preferential treatment and allegiance to members of one’s own group at the expense of members of the “other” group. Labeling people as the “other” makes it easier to disregard their humanity and quickly find fault with them even though similar discretions are minimized or ignored for those who are part of one’s own group. When self-interest based upon group identification takes center stage to the detriment of the interests of those who are different it separates human beings and does little to unite humanity.

An “us” versus “them” mentality based upon group identification occurs in so many different ways. Economic policies are enacted centered around what is best for one’s “own” group no matter what the ramifications may be for the “other” group. Mistreatment of your fellow human beings would be frowned upon for those who belong to “our” group but accepted towards those who are different. Conflicts and military action may be rationalized from the perspective of how it will benefit “our” group irrespective of what harm it may do to the “others”.

While many people think in terms of “us” and “them” there is also a large number of human beings who fully understand that everyone is part of the largest group possible, humanity. With over seven billion people on planet earth they think of this world as one collective body. They go out of their way to right any wrongs and come to the aid of those in need not because of the group someone belongs to but because they are people who just need some help. We call this humanitarian.

When I finished this report I now realize that treating people labeled as the “other” group as well as you treat members of your “own” group brings about peaceful relations and cooperative behaviors that have a holistic benefit for all of mankind. After all, aren’t we just part of one all encompassing “own” group called the human race.

DAY 22 – BASIC REQUIREMENT: EDUCATION AND KNOWLEDGE

I am watching a documentary about how children learn. It begins with young children sitting in a classroom and listening to their teacher. It continues with teenagers discussing life with their parents, other adults and friends. In both cases children everywhere are learning different things that will benefit them throughout their lives.

No one comes into this world with the prerequisite knowledge that will give them the life that they want to have. Everything we need to know that enhances life each of us has to learn. Some of it we get in school and the rest comes from outside the school setting.

At the age of six, and often younger than that, children begin formal education. We initially learn how to read, write and do arithmetic. As we get older we are taught about historical events, science, politics, religion, art, music and a myriad of other subjects. Once out of high school we either go to work or get a more advanced education that enables each of us to specialize in a specific area. All of this is intended to help human beings to go into the world and make a positive contribution to society.

While we expand our horizons through an educational system, the challenges each of us have to face in order to successfully navigate through all aspects of life requires deeper insights into everyday situations and events. We need to understand more about how the human body and mind functions and what we do that will enhance one’s own physical and mental well-being. We also need awareness about how to develop harmonious relationships with our fellow human beings, whether it is with the people we love or those in far off lands. Our ability to be consciously aware of how the earth functions and how each of us can contribute to creating a clean and sustainable earth is also of great importance.

The advice we get while growing up from our parents and other people is invaluable in every person’s evolution into becoming a responsible and caring human being. It is also up to every person as they become a mature adult to pursue the type of knowledge that they can use to achieve a personally better life and to positively contribute to creating a better world. While the previous generation could gain insights into life by reading newspapers and books, listening to radio programs and watching television shows, people living in the first part of the twenty-first century now have the benefit of an expansive cable television network and an internet that opens up the entire world to inquiry.

Never before have human beings been able to immediately access any type of knowledge they want to have by just going online. Think about how easy it is today to learn about any subject or issue a person might be interested in. Anyone with a desire to go beyond what is taught in school can look up more information than what was discussed in class. Anyone can find more in-depth insights into life by accessing the internet. The only limitation to acquiring new knowledge is what a person places upon himself or herself.

With more information available on the internet humanity now has access to books with profound ideas, an ability to learn about enlightening concepts and inspirational speeches that cross time periods. The possibilities to attain the type of knowledge that prevents personal and societal problems from occurring as well as how to quickly remedy existing difficulties is out there. All of this can be easily passed on from person to person and generation to generation because like minded people who have a real desire to create a collectively better world is now able to connect with one another.

While watching this documentary I now realize that my formal education has helped me to become a productive member of society. I am also a better human being today because of the deeper insights into life that have been shared with me by other people and the life enhancing concepts that I have sought out.

DAY 23 – BASIC REQUIREMENT: PHYSICAL HEALTH AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELLNESS

I am a pre-med student who has just spent a day taking a tour of a hospital. In the morning I followed a doctor around who attended to his patients with various types of physical ailments. In the afternoon I was with a psychiatrist who was listening to his patients discuss their personal situations that were problematic and troubling to them.

Every human being lives his or her life within their own body and mind. No one else feels the effects of how one’s cells, tissues and organs are functioning. No one else has personal access to the thoughts and feelings that reside within. Physical and psychological wellness are individually based and completely the inner domain of each person.

At various times in everyone’s life every person has to deal with physical health issues. A simple cold can come and go but there are diseases that take hold within a person’s body that can have a long term effect on that person’s ability to function without pain and discomfort.

Today information is available about what contributes to a healthy and unhealthy body. We know that certain foods enhance the human body to function more optimally and other types of foods can have a detrimental effect. We also know that smoking tobacco and taking drugs can have negative internal ramifications. While a sedentary lifestyle may lead to health problems, exercise has proven beneficial for a healthier body. Since no one knows exactly how their own body’s cells, tissues and organs will progress over time, taking measures to improve one’s health at every stage of life may decrease the likelihood that physical health issues will arise and when something does develop a lifetime proactive approach to health may reduce the severity of the illness.

Human beings also do not want to be burdened by the unwanted. A completely smooth journey throughout life is unrealistic. Something upsetting will happen that may be so unsettling, burdensome and potentially overwhelming that it is difficult to carry on as before. Such situations are psychologically and emotionally taxing.

Think about all of the things that go wrong in life. Arguments or confrontations develop with other people, some of which can cause two people to never again speak to one another. You or your loved one develops an illness that requires time being spent to deal with it. A financial setback occurs where you and your family find yourselves in a position where it is difficult to pay your bills or in the worst case scenario without food or a place to live. Any disruption in life or something that does not develop as you want it to, especially those that are life changing events, takes a toll on a person’s psychological and emotional well-being. Having the psychological makeup to calmly and rationally deal with whatever comes your way will make those situations seem less traumatic to the point where you can carry on with confidence and a belief in yourself that you will be able to remedy the problematic situation.

At the end of the tour I now realize that I have to create the underpinnings for both physical and psychological wellness. If I do not make this an important part of how I go about living my life eventually there is a price to pay for disregarding this key component of a better life.

DAY 24 – BASIC REQUIREMENT: PERSONAL WANTS

It is my one hundredth birthday and I am filling in my birthday wish in a notebook. For the last ninety five years this notebook has a list of every birthday wish I have wanted.

One of the greatest things about being a young child is waiting for your birthday or a holiday and knowing you will be getting presents. Hoping that what you want will be given to you fills the days before and that morning with anticipation for what is to come. When the time finally arrives and you actually get what you want it makes that moment thrilling and exciting.

Children may be more prone to becoming excited over their personal wants but adults enjoy having and doing certain things as well. What each of us likes to have and do helps define a person in a way that other aspects in life do not. It creates the gratifying moments that are different from the joy we experience with the work we do and the people we are emotionally attached to. It adds to the totality of an individual human being and when we put everything together (types of music, tv shows, sports, games, cars, books, places visited, events attended and any other interests) it becomes obvious that every single person who has ever lived is a unique and distinct human being.

How and why a person finds an interest and attachment to certain things and not to others may not be fully understood. A person can be exposed to one thing and never lets go of it while being exposed to something else never takes hold. We do not have to know why this occurs but we should understand that personal wants are an important part of everyone’s life.

After filling in my one hundredth birthday wish I now realize that what I have gravitated towards during the course of my life has been personally rewarding and has enhanced my life. My wants along with the people I love and care about and the work I do makes me a unique human being.

DAY 25 – BASIC REQUIREMENT: TRANSPORTATION

I am walking along a street and came to an intersection that has a pole with two directional signs on it. One sign has an arrow pointing in one direction that reads “take this road and the world will open up to you.” Below it is another sign pointing in the opposite direction that reads “dead end street and you are stuck where you are.”

When we look at what a modern world provides it becomes evident that a transportation system opens up a myriad of opportunities that otherwise would not be possible. With it we can access raw materials in far off locations and have them transported to various locales where they are used to manufacture needed products which in turn can be shipped to people around the world. We also have the capability to transport foods that are grown only in certain regions and send them to people everywhere. A modern transportation system also enables individuals to work at places a distance from where they live, visit people they know and care about, take trips to places they want to see, attend an event, enjoy an activity or just bask in nature’s wonder.

Having a transportation system network that spans the local, national and intercontinental regions is at the heart of making the earth accessible to everyone. For some this is not the case. The locale in which they live does not have paved roads that cars and trucks can travel on. There are no railroads or airports that can bring in useful products. If someone gets sick they cannot immediately access medical help. Foods that are grown elsewhere cannot be brought in thereby limiting the inhabitants of that community to what they can grow for themselves. Without a fully functioning transportation system those living in such areas have fewer possibilities in life.

I now realize that life has been greatly transformed because of access to advanced forms of transportation. Being able to go places and receive diverse products is a key component of a better life.

DAY 26 – BASIC REQUIREMENT: ENERGY SUPPLY

I went to a wild west show that replicated what life was like in the eighteenth century. The homes people lived in, schools children attended, places people worked at, means of transportation and the lifestyles people had were so different compared to today. Their world had its limitations and one of those limitations resulted from the types of energy sources available to them.

Just like living beings require water and food to power our bodies, the ability of human beings to function in a modern world is fully dependent upon advanced sources of power. When it is dark we require lights in our homes, offices, schools and streets in order to see. To run our manufacturing facilities that make the products we use we need machines connected to electrical outlets. Our cars, trains, buses, airplanes and ships that move people and products require a fuel source for them to run. Having heat when it is cold and cool air when it is warm in our buildings we need a source of energy for it. To keep certain foods fresh we need a refrigerator connected to a source of energy that enables the refrigerator to work. Having information available to us as well as staying in contact with people we know we need a source of power for our televisions, radios, computers and iphones. Making scientific discoveries that advance human progress we often use equipment that is connected to electrical outlets.

Even those who live in regions that do not have the amenities of a modern world need some source of energy. The simplest of tasks becomes so much easier if they can have stoves to cook on, lighting in their homes to move about and schools that teach their children.

After thinking about how the world of today is so different than that of the nineteenth century, I now realize that an energy supply is a necessity for humanity. Those of us who live in a modern world could not have or do the things that make our lives easier, better and more enjoyable without it. Those who are the poorest of the poor that live without or have limited resources of energy are short changed in what is possible for them.

DAY 27 – BASIC REQUIREMENT: CLEAN AND SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT

I am talking to an astronaut who was sent into space. When she looked down onto the earth she saw the majesty of our planet in a way that the rest of us cannot do. She said it was a breathtaking experience that gave her a new appreciation of our planet and all that it represents.

Seeing the earth from space is something very few people will ever do. It can make a person understand it as our collective home and a place where we access the food we eat and the water we drink. It is where we get the materials to build our homes and anything else our minds can conceive of. Our human world is completely dependent upon the earth for our survival and ability to thrive.

If we could fly over every single thing created by human beings it would stagger the mind. How many buildings, roadways and cars cover the earth? How many manufacturing facilities and stores to shop in exist throughout the world? How many kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms and living rooms with specific items in everyone of them are in every corner of this planet? Everything we have made requires the earth’s resources to make them.

The technological revolution has created the potential for human beings everywhere to have and do things our ancestors never could have or do. The zest for something better often looked at the immediate situation and didn’t consider what after affects our actions will have upon the earth. Without such consideration we didn’t know if and how we were altering the environment in ways that will do much harm irrespective of the benefits enjoyed by humanity.

As human knowledge has advanced in how to use the earth for our benefit there is also more of an understanding of the potential problems that may result from it. We now grasp that certain by-products of what we do can negatively affect the atmosphere, waterways and soil. They also can be harmful to human health and the well-being of various species of animals and plants. We also now see how human activity affects not only the immediate locale where it occurs but also how it often reaches into far away regions. Nothing is done in isolation and using the earth in a modern society is no different.

With billions upon billions of people on this planet who continually use vast amounts of resources we also need to be aware of the possibility that many of these resources are finite and may eventually become depleted. While humanity today enjoys the fruits of what the earth provides, future generations may not be as fortunate if we use up certain vital resources essential to a modern way of living life.

Humanity’s ability to grow food, use the waterways to fish for food and navigate our ships upon, use the skies to fly airplanes, construct buildings to live and work in, pave roads to travel upon and to make different products essential to our modern way of life has an effect on the ecosystem of the earth. I now realize that by ensuring that the earth is clean and sustainable we can lay a foundation for a healthy and viable earth in which to live for not only those of us who are alive today but also future generations.