Growing up is generally fun and adventurous. At each stage, whether it is our adolescence; early adulthood or adulthood itself; we always tend to feel we have the world figured out. The most confident being the teenage years and that is because we are at our most fearless at this stage of our lives. We think we know what we want and that no one else understands, especially the adults. Forgetting that said adults were too once teenagers.
As we grow older caution is introduced to our lives as life experiences teach and shape us. As we see more of the world our views too begin to change along with it. Lack of exposure can also limit our view of the world and our future. With each of us how we perceive our future has a lot to do with our life experiences to date and the degree of confidence we have in ourselves matters a great deal. How much perceived ownership you have in your life, present or future, depends on your view of the world around you. There are those that will constantly seek to learn more and acquire a better understanding as they map their journey through their life cycles. But for others they have resigned themselves to their station in life.
For the latter, their resignation tends to be rooted in the philosophical argument of the "lottery of birth". Some feel they were destined to fail. To some extent there is some truth to this for those that were born in abject poverty. Living in situations where every effort is spent on finding the next meal. Some go for days without eating at all. In these areas of the world, where a vivid absence of the "soup kitchens" that are a great "safety net" in western countries, untold suffering continues unabated. For those in abject poverty the lack goes beyond basic human needs. Survival, at best, is questionable.
For the majority that have the opportunity to be reading this article your lottery had a lot more personal choice attached to it. You own where you are by pure choice. Now I am not saying that you are guaranteed a seven figure salary, no not at all that would require a lot more education and some benefits of the lottery of birth". For most in the developed world education or lack of it is a choice. Quality of education is not necessarily a choice but some education at a minimum is availed to all. A school within a certain distance, transportation is also an option are availed where necessarily. When you were younger the choice might have been made for you by your parents but choice was still there nonetheless. If your parents' income was under a certain threshold government assistance is at hand to provide food at school or link cards for food at home. All that was required of you was to apply yourself at school for a better life than that of your parents.
Now I am not purporting that life is a walk in the park for all in the developed world, not at all. Life is hard in the first world especially for those earning minimum wage, hence the debate over the need to increase it to a living wage. Regardless of where you put yourself to live better we need to strive more. While some of us may have a better foundation to build on and others none at all, the hardships endured should not deter one but only serve to inspire. If you think you are living in poverty then take the necessary steps to break the cycle of poverty even if it means asking help from others. Somewhere in the world there is a young man or woman who would trade places with you at the drop of a pin. To them your lottery was huge.
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