The Era of Me, My, and I.

My sister brought me to this thought the other day as we were listening to a playlist of random music in the background and a song came on in which the guy sang about various stages of his life.  She pointed out that in today’s music there are predominantly I messages: what’s happened to me, what I am feeling, how great my life is, my dreams, my goals, my life.  Though I think most artists sing from their experiences, it got me thinking about our current world of I messages; not just in mainstream music, but pretty well everywhere we turn.

In a world driven by media |viral videos and instant fame, endless selfies on Insta, likes and followers and subscribers determining your social status and worth, and the endless bombardment of glitz, glamour, perfection, and the world of $tardom| we are thinking of ourselves more than ever, and less about the big picture of a healthy world.

How did we get here?  Why are our lives so much more interesting or valid than someone else’s?  I think we are so very disconnected about what it means to be a human on Earth.  The world doesn’t function on I messages; this is how we segregate people, apply labels, and create a ludicrous hierarchy of importance and validity.

Look at big corporations, like the ones running our food or clothing industries.  They don’t care about how harmful their production process can be.  They don’t care about the dangerous working conditions they support.  They only care about their dollar signs.  They care about, “How much profit am I going to make at the end of today.  How can I increase this for myself?”.  While jobs are being cut for tens of thousands of workers, CEOs are still being awarded bonuses so they can maintain their lavish lifestyles.  This is what our society runs on.  Money and vanity.  And we’re buying in.

It’s just so twisted.

What the world needs is less fences and more community.  We need acceptance, cooperation, and to think less of ME, MY, and I, and more US, OURS, and WE.  Take less selfies and more pictures of you with your friends.  Spend less time on Facebook and go hang out with a family member.  Volunteer in your community.  Make somebody something, or surprise them at work.  Tell someone how much you value them.  Change the way you treat the planet.  Spend time in nature.  Pass around a little bit of love every day.  That is what will make the difference in this world.

Last weekend my husband and I met some friends out at a campsite, which I appreciated so much.  Everyone there is so special in their own way, and everyone cares about everyone else.  We all brought some food to share around the fire, and we just spent a few hours being together, enjoying the pause of the rain, the sound of kids riding their bikes down the dirt roads, and sharing moments.  That’s what it’s all about.

What have you done today that benefited someone else?  What have you done today that will benefit the planet?  What can you do tomorrow?  What can you do every day?