“ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE”?

For those of us privileged to live in a lovely secure area, life is often a joy to experience. It is wonderful to appreciate and be thankful for our bounty. Remember “Attitude determines Altitude” so let’s have an “Attitude of Gratitude”.

Yet, even in a lovely setting, we are still not exempt from the woes and suffering of this mortal life on planet earth. Even with the wonderful buffer zone that great food, home, environment and family and friends bring, we are still reminded regularly of life’s trials and struggles.

Someone once said that “wealth cannot bring happiness but it can make being miserable comfortable” There is a certain degree of truth to this statement, but the concept that wealth brings peace and happiness is really a myth.

Phil Collins, the well known musician had a popular song called “Another day in Paradise:” In this song he brings attention to the fact of poverty, hunger, homelessness, addiction, and life on the streets for millions around the world. In the song he likens his own life and those of many of his listeners and contemporaries to daily paradise. This is a powerful song and it always touches my heart whenever I hear it. It is so important to be deeply grateful, if we have provision to live comfortably. Millions worldwide live in famine, war zones, and homelessness, or other deep crisis.

Yet, we only have to look at the media reports about many of the movie and musical stars to see that problems affect the “up and outs” as well as the “down and outs.”

Of course, those of us in the socio economic temperate zone, i.e. the middle class between the extremes of wealth and poverty are also not exempt from life’s difficulties.

Oftentimes, as I have conversed with residents of lovely areas, the catch cry of, “another day in paradise” is voiced, with a mixture of residential pride and gratefulness for such a lifestyle. I agree, the opportunity to enjoy this lifestyle sure beats living in third world poverty, or some other trouble spot. Yet, we must be on guard about placing our faith in externals to provide true peace, love and fulfillment,

The fact is, many wealthy folks live lives of quiet desperation and pain. Many go through the motions of having it all together, but inwardly are aching for inner relief and more meaning and fulfillment. Many, (even the world’s richest man) have started finding joy in using their wealth to help eradicate poverty and solve the world’s problems. This is awesome, and deserves admiration. I once heard a person of mega wealth say, “helping others is the greatest joy I have ever discovered”. He was sincere too.

Often the less economically endowed idolize the more wealthy amongst us and aspire to achieve similar positions, believing it will be their answer to life’s problems. They too, will find inner emptiness, unless, they use their position to be “part of the answer”

Man is a spiritual being, this spiritual side is the eternal being, the intellectual and physical being of man is of lesser importance to the spiritual being (though still extremely important) We all need to discover how this spirit man or woman on our inside can be made alive and nourished and then we can be “TRULY A PART OF THE ANSWER, INSTEAD OF PART OF THE PROBLEM” (regardless of our current socio economic status)
Paul Sames—