(Extract from the book “Everybody wins”, by Bart Cools and Bruno Rouffaer)
Most of us have reached a level of prosperity where our happiness no longer rises proportionally to the growth of our material possessions. Prosperity contributes to our happiness, but not infinitely. However, we can further increase our well-being by sharing our wealth with others. It makes us feel good, and there is nothing wrong with that: both our happiness and that of people in extremely vulnerable situations benefit. Everybody wins.
Having the opportunity and the power to improve the lives of others is a privilege for many people, one that comes with a sense of obligation. Taking on this responsibility is a great way to reinforce our personal values and be true to our own ethical beliefs. Our contribution to this world will not be measured by the size of our savings account, but by how we choose to live – and how we enable others to live theirs.
Our time on earth is limited. We all know this, but we usually prefer ignoring this. We get caught in the trap of believing that the future is infinite and that there will always be a tomorrow, although that is not the case. There will always be good and not-so-good reasons to not, or not yet, take action. Too many people have no purpose at all in their lives. They just float around, wasting their time, and before they know it, it’s over.
At the end of your life, when you look back on the moments, the days, the weeks, and the years, will you be frustrated by the opportunities you missed or proud of those you seized? When we leave this globe, we want to be able to say, “Hell, we lived. And we had an impact. We did our part. We tried. We made things better. We made a difference. We led by example. Our passage was meaningful.”
It’s not about us, it’s about all of us. It’s about contributing to the bigger picture. You don’t have to be a superhero or see things big for that. You don’t have to sacrifice your existence or drastically change your life for it. It doesn’t require you to eat one less sandwich. Turning your altruistic beliefs into actions, no matter how small, can make a difference. And if by doing so you change the world of even one person, you, for that one person, are changing THE world.
More information on the book “Everybody wins”: www.everybody-wins.eu