Have you ever wished for a simpler life where you and all your neighbors interacted in a more sharing and caring way? Do you see yourself as someone who gets along well with others and makes a valuable contribution to all those around you? Do you ever feel shortchanged by your lot in life?
Sometimes our view of reality is a bit skewed because we see life from our own unique little vantage point. And isn’t it amazing how all that can change in a big hurry when we get an unexpected reality check? That’s what I want to offer you today, a reality check by means of a perspective shift with regard to your world and the people on it.
Shrinking the world changes our perspective
Perhaps if the whole world were a small village of 100 people it would be a lot easier to see firsthand what’s really going on with the human race. When we think in terms of global population the big numbers tend to distort our ability to comprehend things. The reality and proportions of any given situation are generally easier to comprehend when we shrink things down to a number that we can relate to.
This information is intended only as a reality check that will hopefully give most of us some legitimate reasons to feel very, very grateful. And I think that we can all agree that gratitude is a wonderful thing.
Perhaps reading this will move us all to look for ways to contribute more to the human family. Conscious awareness, compassion, and fellow feeling are an important first step toward solving any problem and this is especially true of big problems.
Here’s the scenario for our reality check
If we could reduce the world’s population to a village of precisely 100 people, with all existing human ratios remaining the same, the demographics would look something like this:
The village would have 60 Asians, 14 Africans, 12 Europeans, 8 Latin Americans, 5 from the USA and Canada, and 1 from the South Pacific.
This is how things would pencil out
* 51 would be male, 49 would be female
* 82 would be non-white; 18 white
* 67 would be non-Christian; 33 would be Christian
* 80 would live in substandard housing
* 67 would be unable to read
* 50 would be malnourished and 1 dying of starvation
* 33 would be without access to a safe water supply
* 39 would lack access to improved sanitation
* 24 would not have any electricity (And of the 76 that do have electricity,
most would only use it for light at night.)
* 7 people would have access to the Internet. You are in that 7%
* 82 would be non-white; 18 white
* 67 would be non-Christian; 33 would be Christian
* 80 would live in substandard housing
* 67 would be unable to read
* 50 would be malnourished and 1 dying of starvation
* 33 would be without access to a safe water supply
* 39 would lack access to improved sanitation
* 24 would not have any electricity (And of the 76 that do have electricity,
most would only use it for light at night.)
* 7 people would have access to the Internet. You are in that 7%
minority!
* 1 would have a college education
* 1 would have HIV
* 2 would be near birth; 1 near death
* 5 would control 32% of the entire world’s wealth; all 5 would be
US citizens
* 33 would be receiving and attempting to live on only 3% of the
. income of the entire village
* 1 would have a college education
* 1 would have HIV
* 2 would be near birth; 1 near death
* 5 would control 32% of the entire world’s wealth; all 5 would be
US citizens
* 33 would be receiving and attempting to live on only 3% of the
. income of the entire village
How is your reality looking now?
No matter who you are, when you look over this list and consider your situation, you can probably see plenty of reasons to count your blessings. I know that I sure do!
How’s your situation looking now?
What did this reality check do for you?
What did this reality check do for you?
Think. Grow. Live!
Roland N. Gilbert
Roland works one-on-one – via phone, Skype and face-to-face – and with MasterMind Groups. Through Couples Coaching Roland helps clients communicate better, find the love they want, and create relationships of significance. Contact Roland ator rgilbert@perennialgrowth.com to determine if coaching is right for you.
