The REAL currency of life is... LIFE ITSELF!

Today as part of an assignment I researched a speech written by an environmental activist that goes by the name of Vandana Shiva. The speech was about 'Economic Growth'. BUT WAIT!! :D Before you stop reading and think this post will bore you to death, I promise if you love the earth as much I do you will fall in love with this wonderful lady. 

 As many of you can probably relate, when you're told to research something my automatic thought is 'But mom, I don't want to...'  Well, the second I started reading I realized that I am reading a speech written by an incredible women. The way she views the world is just amazing, and I truly believe if more of our world leaders had the same outlook on things as her OUR world would be a much kinder place. (I have posted a link to her speech at the bottom of my post)

The main message I took away from this speech is how the world only sees a country growing by the amount of wealth and money the country has (GDP). Shouldn't growth take into account human life and how we are growing and developing into the people we are? Are we willing to put profits and the greed of businesses before nature and real life? 

How is it that beautiful forests aren't seen as growth but when we cut down the trees and destroy their natural beauty by converting them to timber to sell on, then and only then this forest will be seen as 'Growth'? I don't know about you but that just doesn't seem right to me! 

One of the most shocking examples Shiva highlighted was that health organisations which promote health and well being aren't seen as growth, yet diseases which force people to BUY medicine are seen as growth! Does this mean disease is a good thing in terms of economic growth? Would out country be in a better financial position if we were all sick and forced buy medicine so the government can get a nice juicy profit? 


I think it is TIME TO CHANGE the definition of economic growth, and a little country called Bhutan is already way ahead of us!:) They have created a Gross National Happiness Scale instead of the widely used GDP! They have focused on the well being of their population instead of wealth(in terms of money that is). That's what being human and living is all about, creating real life memories and experiences. We're only here once so we need to learn to enjoy the ride and not get caught up in the mumbo jumboo of creating so called 'wealth.' When we focus on money we miss out on real life and what it really means to be human. 

My Favorite quotes from this speech include:

• And the rich might be rich in monetary terms – but they too are poor in the wider context of what being human means

• We need to remember that the real currency of life is life itself.

• The dominant model of economic development has in fact become anti-life.

So I ask YOU, beautiful people of earth, what are your values? Do you value money or do you value life and real life experiences? At the end of the day our values shape the people we are, ultimately shaping our universe.

Peace out and spanksss for reading :)


xoxo

Here is a link to this wonderful speech, ENJOY!
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/nov/01/how-economic-growth-has-become-anti-life