The world needs these things. Can you provide them?
The world is not quite the utopia humanity is hoping for.
But we can still work toward something better.
All we need is more of these things…
1. Action
There are challenges out there that aren’t going to solve themselves.
They need action – real action – if they are to be overcome.
The world needs action on poverty, climate change, the mental health crisis, war, famine, and so many other things.
People need to take action.
Communities need to take action.
Companies need to take action.
Politicians need to take action.
Nations need to take action.
More action is desperately needed if we are to avert the many crises looming on the horizon.
2. Unity
Those challenges aren’t going to get solved if we don’t come together as a planet.
We don’t have to be the same in order to have a common goal.
We can remain our own independent selves, we can be proud of who we are and where we come from.
All the while, we can look to our brothers and sisters across the world and recognize that we are, in many respects, one.
We are the same, but different. We are unique, but part of a greater whole.
We have to join hands and work together for the greater good.
3. Tolerance
If we are to come together, we have to learn how to work with people who may be very different to us.
This requires us to be tolerant of those whom we might not always see eye to eye with.
This is valid in both our personal lives and in the relations between our leaders and countries.
It seems like the world is more divided than ever into “us” and “them” tribes where each side looks at the other with contempt and even hatred.
Tolerance means putting aside those loyalties.
4. Acceptance
Going one step further than tolerance is reaching a true acceptance of who someone else is.
Even if you disagree with many of their opinions or life choices, it is better to accept that these are just as valid as yours.
We have to accept that beneath everything, there is a human being who is deserving of our care and kindness.
And we need to accept people for who they are, not who we may want them to be.
5. Understanding
People are complicated balls of thought, emotion, and act.
When they do something that gets on your nerves or upsets you, the first step is to try to understand why they did what they did.
Most people are facing struggles on a daily basis – you just aren’t aware of most of them.
But we can extend our understanding to others by looking at ourselves and the turmoil that we may be facing.
I’m sure you’d ask for a little understanding when your behavior is a bit out of character.
Well, we can offer the same thing to others.
6. Compassion
When we see someone suffering – even if we are not aware of the cause of that suffering, we should show our heartfelt concern for that person.
A little compassion goes a long way in helping a person who is facing hardship, misfortune, or hurt.
A shoulder to cry on, an ear to listen, and some warm words of comfort – the world certainly needs more of these.
7. Forgiveness
We all do things that we later come to regret.
Often, those things can hurt others in some way.
But forgiveness is not given easily in this day and age.
This comes back to the understanding and compassion above. When someone is dealing with issues or suffering in some way, they may not think straight.
They may do things that cause us harm, but they rarely do so out of spite.
Forgiveness doesn’t mean we have to forget what happened, nor does it mean we have to condone what they did.
It means we move on and not let the act affect our present.
Forgiveness is also something we need between cultures, nations, generations, and more.
Wherever there is conflict, anger, and resentment, the world needs forgiveness.
8. Kindness
There are countless people suffering right now.
There are many more who have experienced a misfortune recently – perhaps right in front of your eyes.
Will you walk on by on the other side of the road, or will you be the Good Samaritan and show kindness to those in need?
Kindness transcends all faiths, all ages, all backgrounds, all languages, and can even reach across vast distances.
An act of kindness, no matter how small, makes the world a better place in immeasurable ways.
The world needs a lot more kindness.
9. Trust
Many people have become cynical of the world.
They believe that everyone is out for themselves and that no one can be trusted.
But trust is a cornerstone of human relationships – without it, things quickly fall apart.
Not only should we place more trust in the people in our lives, but we can be more trusting of everyone.
Strangers aren’t out to hurt us. Companies aren’t out to take advantage of us. Politicians aren’t out to swindle us (though you may think they are).
Most people can be trusted.
Sure, there are those who would seek to do us harm – but these are a tiny, tiny majority and we should not let them stop us from trusting people.
10. Hope
We can make a better future.
That is the underlying message of hope.
But it seems to have gotten lost in recent times.
People desire better, but they don’t always have true hope that better will come.
The world needs more hope if it is to stimulate the action that is needed to solve our many problems.
We need people to deliver messages of hope. We need people to show us the power of hope through their actions.
But most of all, we need people to believe again and have hope that tomorrow will be better than today.
11. Community
We are not islands isolated from one another by vast oceans.
We are connected in ways that most of us can’t imagine.
And yet the distance between us seems to be growing at an ever faster rate.
We don’t know our neighbors like we used to.
Our interactions have become superficial.
We must go deeper than that and truly get to know the people who live around us, who share our villages, towns, and cities with us.
Connections made at a local level are hugely beneficial to well-being and they can help us take action (there’s that word again).
12. Wisdom
We have knowledge at our fingertips, yet this does not always translate into wisdom.
Wisdom is different to knowledge. It is more fundamental in its teachings.
There have been many wise people through the ages, but their messages are often lost, forgotten, or overlooked.
The world needs to revisit the teachings of those wise people and apply them to the way we act today.
13. Contentment
Everyone always seems to be striving for more.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it has the potential to turn toxic if it’s not kept in check.
At some point, we have to stop, look at what we have, and be thankful for it.
We need to realize that, in many instances, more does not mean better.
We need to learn to be content. We need to know what it means to be at peace with the life we have.
The constant need to have more, do more, and be more is sowing seeds of unhappiness and depression.
Let’s just be content with what we have already.
14. Hugs.
Enough said.
15. You
Yes, the world needs more of you.
It needs you to be an active participant in life.
From unity to compassion, from kindness to community… and especially in action.
There is no “I” in world.
The world needs YOU!
