1.4 billion people live on less than $1.25 US ($2 AUD) a day. Now it's our turn.
http://www.livebelowtheline.com/
In August 2010 join us in living on $2 a day, and commit to raising awareness and funds on behalf of those in greater need than ourselves.
SPONSOR ME as I live on $2 a day for 30 days: CREDIT CARD www.everydayhero.com.au/priyani_madan DIRECT DEBIT (email p.madan@theoaktree.org for details) or CASH (in person or email me for mailing details).

Monday, May 24, 2010

Day 6 - "can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars?...


...i could really use a wish right now."

How do we get through our darkest hours? How do we move past despair and depression? How do we manage to get up in the morning, even though we would prefer to sink into our own world in bed?

Hope. Belief. Faith.

Remember when you were younger and you used to believe in fairies? And Santa? And the Easter Bunny? I sure remember. I remember always making a wish when seeing a shooting star. And when throwing coins into fountains. And when driving in tunnels with a train going by on top. And upon finding an eyelash. And remember how you could never tell anyone because otherwise it would never come true?

I always wished for the same thing - for everyone in the world to be happy. Whether that meant that they were fed, or loved - just happy. I always hoped it would one day happen, and I still wish for the same thing.

My mum told me that she wished for no more wishes. Because she thought people wished too much for what they wanted and for things they didn't need.

Do you believe in hallucinations? Silly dreams or imaginations?
~ Angels and Airwaves

Personally, I still always wish and hope and believe in the silly imaginations. Maybe it was a childhood thing that one should grow out of, but I don't think so. My favourite restaurant, an amazing Italian one, has a fountain, and every single time we used to go when we were younger, my sister and I always would badger my parents for change so we could throw it in the fountain and make a wish. I still do.

I think it is so important to have belief and hope and faith.

I know it is so cliche, but I just want to know: do you look at the glass half full or half empty?

I just think that it is so easy to fall into a cycle of cynicism. And to think that nothing will change, and things will always stay this way, and a group of such young people can make no change. It is so easy to say that it is not our problem. It is so easy to say we hate the human race and people will always cause unfairness. It is so easy to say that there is destruction everywhere. It is so easy to blame other people and to believe the worst - perhaps so we don't get disappointed.

I know in my life I have been guilty many times of lowering my expectations or expecting the worse and of losing belief, just so that I won't be disappointed.

I just think this is the worst way to think and live though - for anyone. It is so easy to be that way, yet we need to challenge ourselves. Sure, there may be a lot of unfairness and horrible people - yet if we live our whole lives believing the worst in people, where will this get us?

We need to understand that anything in this world is possible and we can make it happen - we just need to have that faith. Faith in ourselves, that we can make change and that we can do whatever we set our mind to. Faith in each other, that we won't let each other down and that not everyone is a bad person. And faith in the human race, that working together, we can do amazing things.

We need to keep on moving. Life can totally suck sometimes, but we need to remind ourselves of how lucky we are, and that we are surrounded by loving people and that if we just reach out, there is someone there. Just for our own internal health, we need to keep this faith, and believe that things will be okay, one day.

Because what doesn't kill us, only makes us stronger.

Man can live about forty days without food, about three days without water, about eight minutes without air, but only for one second without hope.
~ Anonymous

As an entire world, we need to have hope and faith that we can make change, because we are so powerful, and we have the resources, so we just really need to do it now. We have enough food to feed the world 1.5 times over. We have the money. We have the ability to make change and to fix everything that needs fixing. Even if you don't entirely believe poverty can be ended in our generation, you can hope for it. Why not?

I believe we can do it.

dollar25 today was actually really okay. I ate more than I normally would! I went shopping yesterday for this weeks food, and I bought heaps of CARBS. So bad, I know. I bought 3 packets of pasta, 2 loaves of bread, 2 kg of bananas and 3 cans of baked beans. I actually have stayed full all day!

Breakfast: 2 toasts and a banana
Lunch: 250g of pasta, 2 pieces of bread, some baked beans
Snacks: A piece of bread and a banana
Dinner: 250g of pasta, 2 pieces of bread, some baked beans

I think I have narrowed down the challenge of this campaign for me. At the moment it is not about being hungry. The major challenges are:

- Lack of choice/freedom: I miss being able to buy what I want, when I want. To feel like something and to just get it.

- Flavours and taste: I think we underestimate how lucky we are. So much enjoyment can be had from eating tasty and flavour-filled foods, and I miss that. Enjoyment from plain pasta and toast only lasts for so long.

Confession: I had some really strong medication and the taste was making me almost throw up so I had 2 blocks of chocolate. The meds were costly so I couldn't throw them up. Sorry :(

Anyway. In the words of Bon Jovi, keep the faith.

And in the words of Albert Einstein:

Learn from yesterday,
Live for today,
Hope for tomorrow.

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