Too Much To Ask?

I’ve watched the video of Trevor Noah talking about social contracts twice. And it got me to thinking about the human race as a whole and where do we draw the boundaries on personal responsibility, morality, and ethics? I began realizing that a lot of the frustrations I have are related to people not adhering to social contracts, pretending that they are, and then don’t or they’re totally oblivious of them.

It feels like you’re giving it your all, going the extra mile while the others you are relating with are only looking out for themselves and seeking ways to exploit the situation to their advantage. I’ve encountered very few people who are straightforward, honest and relate in an interdependent fashion where there are win-win solutions, equal contribution, and fair negotiations. I’ve often thought my expectations are too unrealistic or that maybe I’m jaded after being burned too many times.

I don’t believe it’s too much to ask that people educate themselves and use critical thinking so they can navigate from a place of truth in the world. I believe everyone who has any amount of leisure time in order to be responsible to the human race needs to be spending some of that time working on personal development, self-improvement, and healing.

I believe each of us has a responsibility to contribute to the best of our abilities towards creating a better world. We can do this best by getting to know ourselves from the inside out and honing our characters, developing our unique gifts, and then share them with the world. Some of us have more leeway to do this than others depending on our life circumstances, but we all can take steps towards improvement no matter how small. Every bit adds up over time and creates positive ripples in the world at large. We can all affect change in this way.

Is it enough to work at a minimum wage job, eat convenience foods, and then come home and watch TV or play video games every day? How much positive ripples is that person making and are they living a life of meaning and purpose? Are they sharing their unique gifts with the world and building a strong, influential character?

Does it matter? From what I’ve seen, it matters a lot.

We are free to live how we choose, but what if we all made more of an effort to learn and grow? Wouldn’t that help us make this world better faster? Is anyone else a bit frustrated by the lack of caring, the lack of interest in creating a world where we all have the chance to become fully self-actualized humans?

I’m frustrated that the people who do have the opportunity to educate themselves don’t take advantage of it and instead are comfortable doing the minimum as long as they have basic needs met, that’s enough, their job is done, they’re surviving and comfortable staying in place, just getting by, no aspirations, no plans, no adventure, no passions, just a passive monotonous life. I don’t get it. What if they did a little bit more, like learn a new skill or pursue a new interest, or try to work towards the future, have goals, have a five-year plan for example.

If more people cared then there would be more positive momentum and creativity for solutions so that more and more people would have the resources to be able to learn and grow too. Increased engagement, connection, and creativity are pathways to more contribution. With more people investing in personal growth there could be more opportunities created for those who have less time and resources, we could mentor and help others. I don’t see any downsides, so why don’t more people take advantage of all of the free resources to help themselves learn and grow?

It’s hard for me to know what’s reasonable to expect sometimes. For the most part, I have to let it go and concentrate on what I’m doing to learn and grow. I let everyone else be and focus on what I can contribute, just don’t get in my way, lol. I want to do my part and make a difference, I’m trying to figure it out. I’d love it if others would give it a try too.

Try something new. Establish a healthy habit, then add another. Learn about something you’ve been curious about. Read a book. Do something that is a little bit scary for you, that challenges your courage, but also excites you. Take a free online course. Listen to a podcast.

Take a close, hard look at your life and ask if it’s enough? Is this the life and world you envisioned when you were daydreaming in your youth? What if you could live forever with your life as it is now, if it stayed the same, forever or what if you were to croak tomorrow? How would your life measure up? Are there any changes you’d like to make or any regrets or last wishes?

Maybe I’m just wanting company and since I’m trying to light a fire under my a** I want others to as well, lol. I want us to grow faster!