In the daily bustle, it is easy to forget how fortunate you are if you have health, family, friends, food, and shelter. If you have these essentials, you're among a small minority in the world. A majority of people on the planet lack at least one of the above in adequate amounts. A majority of the 6 billion people on Earth live not only lacking food, shelter, or health, but they live in extreme poverty for their entire lives.
Most of us reading this column possess not only shelter, adequate food, and generally good health, but we also have disposable income, a true rarity in the world. We have income to invest in stocks for an even better future, or to invest in leisure time, or to invest in others.
What matters most in life?
Living honestly with yourself and with others; appreciating and being thankful for what you have; helping others when you can; being positive rather than negative; being part of a solution rather than part of a problem; working to improve the world and leave it a little better than you found it.
When you remember what's most important, it makes life seem relatively simple. Personal worries should be few if you have health, shelter, food, others you care about, and freedom along with opportunity. And that's it. We too often forget what matters most each day. We need to remember.
