Entitled or Entrusted?

Here is a great article on the distribution of wealth throughout the the world.  I find it interesting on a number of fronts.   The topic of resource distribution from a personal, social and governmental perspective is a routine topic of conversation in my circle of friends.  Why do we have what we have?  How should we be using it?  Where should it be going and why don't we make more of an effort to follow through on sharing versus material gain? 

I think many people have a poor understanding of their true place on the food chain.  I think to some degree we are all taught, indirectly or not, that whatever we have, we should be getting more.  Starting with school children, we're always challenging them to raise the bar higher even when they've scored well.  It's never good enough. 

Conversely, this county has had it good for so long that we're seeing a sense of entitlement.  Like any of us chose to be born into a prosperous nation.  Simply by the luck of the draw, most of us were lucky enough not to be born into an economically undeveloped country.  Yet many of us still focus on the idea that we are owed anything by this life. 

And finally, too many people are naive enough to believe that they alone control their destiny and circumstance.  Whatever they have is because they made it happen.  They earned it.  They worked haaaaard for it!  While all of the above may be true, believing that your personal desire and fortitude is the single most defining drivers of your good fortune is incredibly short sided. 

I guess the point of this particular rant is to raise awareness that whether your in the $30k or $130k income range, if you're living in America chances are good you're living the good life.  Be thankful, be gracious and be humble enough to understand the gifts you've been given and the opportunities you have been entrusted to use them on.  Let's not focus on what we don't have or what we'd like to have, and focus rather on what we can do with what we've got. 

Have a fantastic week!