I no longer want to pursue pleasure at the expense of others beyond my basic needs. Until the basic needs of all my brothers and sisters are met, I will not fully allow myself to rest nor shall I expect to reach the level of happiness that would otherwise await me. This does not mean I will not enjoy life and live life to its fullest. The mountain of well-being can be climbed but what beauty is to be seen from the top if that view is a world burning?
I will use the opportunities that I have in my given circumstances as a vehicle for my offering of help to those in need and as a voice to speak for those without a voice.
We must stop closing our blinds which enable us to avoid/ignore the destruction and waste going on in our backyards. The more detached and distant we become from the world and our humanity, the bigger the problems that affect us all will become. Ironically this growing distance and detachment brings the backyard behind our closed blinds increasingly closer. We must become aware of not just our involuntary role in the symbiotic nature of life but also the power we have as individuals to vote with our choices and our actions. We must also be aware of the consequences those momentary choices and actions have. Unless we open our eyes to what is really going on in the world, this backyard will inevitably and eventually become our home; our living space.
I will continue to ensure that my own health, education and morality are constantly growing and reach within myself to ever greater depths to find optimal virtue. By this prioritized selfish service to myself, to my own life, to my own sense of humanitarianism, I will be an example for those who may choose to consider me as one or who may care about life but feel trapped. Instead of looking down at those who look up at me I will give my hand to them and elevate them mentally so that we are on the same level for this is the place where true understanding and communication begin. Each one of us has the keys to our own well-being and happiness and thus the collective happiness of our entire race.
I like to call this selfish altruism. What I mean by this is that the only way towards a society that works in harmony is to become the masters of our own selves, our emotions, our actions, our beliefs so that we are ourselves in harmoy. Not just striving for something more but towards a maintenance of all that makes life eternally meaningful and beautiful whether it’s art, science, health, love, etc. Through this process we can find the desire to feel deeply alive instead of numbing ourselves to slavery; to use our infinite intelligence potential instead of becoming dumbed-down robots; to motivate us to clean up our mess and take full responsibility for it instead of turning our backs to it; to give us the energy, hunger and knowledge we need to fight against our true enemy: ignorance.
No one can do this for us. The change for humanity starts within us.