We watch the nightly news stories of shootings on our flat screen TVs. We listen to the first-hand accounts of trauma on NPR in our cars. We drive through poor, unsafe neighborhoods on our ways to our lakehouses. Poverty, crime and misfortune exist on all ends of the globe, and masses of people suffer from the consequences. However, under the shield of suburbia, we as citizens often fail to understand the scope of our blessings and opportunities.

I’m not saying that we don’t deserve all of the successes that we as a society have achieved; that’s simply untrue. We work hard to maintain our complex and sophisticated lifestyles. However, we must be more appreciative of all of the opportunities that we have such easy access to.

So many people around the world would kill for all of the amenities that we so often take advantage of. Our finished basements, our alarm systems and our cable networks. Our cars, our educations and our families. There are so many reasons why we should be so appreciative of the way we live.

That being said, may we always remember that we are privileged to have all of the opportunities which we possess. May we always strive to have compassion for individuals who are less fortunate than we are, and may we always live our lives with passion and motivation.

So many people around the world will never experience the privileges which we merely expect. In order for us to live successfully, we must acknowledge and appreciate all of our opportunities to contribute to this world.