When I say sustainable community, what is the first thing you think? Is it opening up more jobs? Is it having a good economy? What about a home for everybody? Those were the first things that popped into my head, but I was wrong when I thought those. None of those things would quench our thirst for something more, we would just begin to push and pull at each other to get higher on the ladder of life. Leaving the people below us to struggle at the bottom. I believe that to change the world, we have to change ourselves.
We have a desire and longing to think about what it would be to have a little more. We see commercials and infomercials on the newest and coolest things and begin to think about how it would be to own them. Most of the population wants to be rich. We delude ourselves into thinking we aren't rich because we don't live in Hollywood or own a mansion or have 20 wives, but we are. We have these really cool things that you can get in and drive places called cars, and these things that keep us from getting wet called roof's. Not only do we have food but we have a place to store it because we have so much of it. We even have a place to put it to keep it cold.
I believe that when the world realizes how much stuff they really have compared to those who aren't as privileged as us. And decides to do something about it, that it will change. I believe that if we begin to see that we have so much, and start to want to share, and give it up to help somebody who has never experienced these things, that we will be happy.
If we keep thinking about what we have, and hoarding it to ourselves, and buying more and more of the things that we want that we will become stressed, and angry because we will never have enough. However, when you see how much of an impact giving people food, and water, and everything else that you can to those in need has an impact on them, you will be happier. When I speak of this I am not saying that I want people to give once a month, or once a week and think it's fine. I mean that when you see a need you try your best to fill it.
We need to change the cliché “I want” phrase into “I need” or “They want.” To change the world we need to change ourselves. We need to see that the newest technology or clothes are not as important as a coat or education for those who don't have one. Telling people you want world peace is not the same as trying to achieve it. It's like saying that you want to get a job, but if you don't fill out the application then you won't ever get it.


When elephants are young their trainers put a heavy chain around their ankles and attach it to a tree for weeks at a time. They turn the tree into a stump with turns into a pole, the chain gets lighter and smaller until it is just a piece of twine. But by that time the elephant has given up all hope of breaking out and getting free. It believes that the twine is holding it there, even if it's not. Are we like elephants? Do we set limits on our faith or our life as to what is out-of-bounds? I believe we do.