Thanks

Reading for Wednesday,  November 26, 2014 yoga class

Edited from a blog by Anodea Judith

Think about it!!

Nearly everything we need today (at least in the first world) is already here: the roads, the transportation system, the airports, schools, stores, playgrounds, daycare centers.  With our computers and cell phones we can find instant answers and access to the whole world with the tap of a finger (or talking to Siri).  We can buy food from anywhere in most grocery stores, or find a restaurant to prepare most any dish we are hungry for.  Even our garbage is hauled away for us, sorting and recycling something we might have used for only a few minutes (like a coffee cup).  We can order most anything we desire from the Internet and have it arrive on our doorstep the next day.  If you have a car accident, there is a service that rushed you to the hospital, police on the scene of a crime within minutes.  For every practical human need, there already exists some way to address it, even if many of those needs remain unmet. 

Our ancestors toiled long and hard for the things we take for granted today.  In our modern homes, we live better than the kings and queens who suffered cold winters in stone buildings, and slept with fleas in their bed, facing short lifespans.  We live at a pinnacle of privilege. 

What is all this FOR?  If we are given everything at the touch of a button, shouldn't that free us up for something grand?  We are the most privileged, most informed, most capable population that has ever lived.  Our potential is unprecedented. 

I think we are here to create Heaven on Earth.  It’s a simple concept, but not a simple undertaking.  But maybe, just maybe, some form of it is already here.  We just need to APPRECIATE what we have and make use of it for something grand.

I, for one, am thankful to be alive at this amazing time.  I am thankful for everything provided to free up my time to learn, to offer service, to create and I try my best to put it to good use, to give back more than I take. 

Thanks, it’s a simple word that we’re taught to say from the time we first learn to speak.  We should be saying it all the time, but its nice to have a time of year where we are specially reminded.