This is how we change the world. (An important lesson I learned while on holiday).

I learned so very much on this holiday. I finally, really deeply get how privileged I am to have all the resources I have. It's so easy in a culture that gets us to focus on what's missing, what we don't have, what we should pursue, what we should buy, etc to feel like we never have enough.

It's a guise. It keeps us wanting. It keeps us distracted from more important things. Like all the incredible resources we already have. Like all the clean water running to our home, food in our kitchen, electricity and internet on-demand.

And all of that sits on top of a community of friends, safe streets where we can drive and walk and cycle, generally reasonable and generally stable political systems, hospitals, educational institutions, etc.

In short, I have so much, and during this holiday I finally got to see what was there all along. A culture of striving, a culture of "more", a culture that teaches and reinforces "not good enough unless you have..." can't fool me any longer.

A ridiculous, unnecessary war began while I was preparing for a 2 1/2 week holiday that would see me fly to three different parts of my own country and see two different branches of my family.

A huge number of towns were flooded and the town I went to university in 20 years ago was flattened by unprecedented amounts of rain while I was sleeping safe and sound in a high end hotel room in one of the most expensive cities in the world.

I read posts from my fellow Hiveans who were struggling with conditions in their own villages, towns or cities that I've never had to face in my life. I read these posts on a laptop I own, using internet from a smartphone that I own, while I sat one lovely apartment after another as we drove our way around the beautiful state of Tasmania, doing things so many people globally will never ever be able to do in their lifetime.

I don't write this post to show off to anyone who may be living a life that doesn't afford them the same privileges I've just mentioned; I have zero desire to show off. In fact, it pains me that not everyone in the world can visit the beautiful places I've seen in the last 3 weeks, let alone the fact that still so much of the world does not have access to safe living conditions, clean water and sufficient, nutritionally adequate food.

I write this post because I finally get it. I finally actually get that I'm in that tiny percentage of the people globally who have so very much it's astounding. I'm no longer looking at the people who have so much more than me. They exist, for sure. There's still plenty of them, but nowhere near as many as the multitude of people I could lift up from my position of privilege if only I remember to look in the right direction; to the majority, not the ultra-wealthy minority.

I've been hearing the saying, "With great power comes great responsibility" forever. I thought it applied to other people, people who were far wealthier than me, who ran much larger companies than me, people who were leading much bigger communities than me. I didn't realise it also applied to me.

Anyone who has as much access to the same kind of resources as me (clean water, food, air + a safe home, school, workplace + electricity, internet, devices + family, friends, community) has so much power and they may not even realise it.

The way we lift the living conditions of our average earthly citizen is by realising first just how much we, the wealthy minority, already have. Once we realise how powerful we are, then, and only then can we use that power to change the world.

[This was going to be a post about the 6,826 steps I did today, that concluded with arriving home to find this gorgeous little critter (gecko) at our front door. How I have missed these guys while in colder climates these last few weeks. Thanks Brad for snapping this photo :)

I was going to tell you how I have a huge pile of paperwork to get through before I start a new job next week and how Hive has to take a back seat for a few weeks while I settle into a new routine here at home. I was going to tell you how I did very little exercise because I'm on Day 2 of my Menstrual Cycle and spent much of the day on the couch... until the still-unpacked suitcase bugged me too much.

I was going to tell you that I'm pretty tired from my trip, grateful but tired, and expect to spend the next few days catching up on life admin, business admin and cleaning of this big 'ole house.

But my heart had things it wanted to say. And out of my fingertips poured the words that most needed to be said. So this might be an exhaust post. And I might be physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted from a whole range of things happening in my life and the world right now. But I am on fire with clarity about all that I have and all that I am, and want nothing more than that clarity to burn through all the old dross and all the old stories about who I am, and who I've been and leave nothing but untethered confidence about my ability to change the world.

I hope my words have sparked something in you too about all you have and all you are.]