“Overcoming poverty is not a task of charity, it is an act of justice. Like Slavery and Apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings. Sometimes it falls on a generation to be great. You can be that great generation. Let your greatness blossom.”

~ Nelson Mandela

I imagine that a day will come when we will be looking back, and saying, “In the past we lived in fear. We were constantly worried about not having enough for our survival. This fear created all sorts of problems. It made us extract all we could from the environment and accumulate much more than what we needed. It made us compete, oppress, exploit, and fight one another. That struggle brought about a lot of pain and suffering; while some were able to gain a whole lot, the immense majority ended up with almost nothing. Both those who had much and those who had little lived in fear: the former were afraid of losing what they had, while the latter lived in the constant despair of not having enough to survive. But once we came to the realization that this is a place of abundance, and that we are all in this together, we changed the inefficient and unjust ways we had organized ourselves to live on this planet. We began to cooperate much more with one another, and everything changed: fear vanished, generosity flourished, solidarity blossomed, and peace became possible. We came to the realization that this is our garden and our playground, and we finally manifested Heaven on Earth.”

Once the majority of human beings come to embrace those new beliefs, a much better world will arise. We can change our physical world if we change the ways we live in it. In order to successfully create the conditions for everyone to thrive and enjoy life to the fullest, we must open up our minds, let go of old thoughts and limiting beliefs, and envision a whole new world full of possibilities.

So here’s my challenge to you: Adopt these more positive, optimistic, life-enhancing beliefs. Practice them. Live them. Propagate them. Believe that Heaven—a worry-free and struggle-free place—is here if we want it to be. Accept that this is a place of abundance where there is more than enough for everybody. Accept that things don’t need to be the way they are (or were). Accept that we, all of us, can have our needs met and live without fear. Accept that we have the capacity to come up with better, more efficient ways of organizing ourselves to live on this planet. Believe that reason, justice, and fairness will prevail. Envision all human beings living dignified, fulfilling lives. Envision a world of solidarity, where we fully support one another, and where each one of us develops to the fullest and gives their best contribution to humanity.

Imagine yourself in the future looking back, seeing the progress we have made, and being optimistic! The world has changed. The world is changing. The world will continue to change for the better. Believe it!

“Using labels often leads to misunderstandings. Not using labels leads to long explanations that people are not patient enough to hear. It seems that we can't win.”

~ Craig M. Watts

Unfortunately we live in the middle of a barrage of malicious propaganda and brainwashing. Rather than studying, analyzing, and making our best effort to understand the issues of our time, we stay on the surface, living with superficial slogans: we seldom go as deep as we should. Rather than using our intelligence to imagine and bring about more compassionate and just ways of living together in society, conversations are cut short when labels such as socialism and communism are evoked. But what if we forgot the sketchy labels and put our heads together to create a new world where we treat each other with respect, kindness, and compassion; a world where all of us have what we need to live dignified and thriving lives?

What if we imagined and created a new world where we understood that we are a part of nature and not apart from it, and organized ourselves to respect, protect, preserve, and restore our physical environment? What if we imagined and brought about a world society with a better distribution of wealth, and where we minimized the stress caused by the fear of not having enough which, in the final analysis, is the factor that brings about social instability, crime, and war? Can we go beyond the fear mongering, superficial, gratuitous slogans, and learn from history to work together to create a world of solidarity? How come when we talk about these issues some immediately cite the worst aspects of the failed communist regimes, close up their minds, and do not focus, for instance, on the successful social arrangements and great accomplishments of the Scandinavian societies that year after year are featured on the top of the list of the happiest countries in the world—Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland?

What comes to mind is what Archbishop Helder Camara said: “When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why they are poor and have no food, they call me a communist.” Can we see the instantaneous effect of the detrimental label polluting the air, shutting brains down, and interrupting the possibility of having intelligent conversations? We should pause, put the preconceived ideas and limiting labels down, and explore with openness and freedom new possibilities for humankind. We should seek answers to questions such as “Why is there poverty? Why does it exist? Why are there so many inequalities in the world? Can we organize ourselves differently to live in more humane and less violent societies? Can we be less fearful, selfish, greedy, and violent? Can we be more compassionate, generous, and kind? Can we eradicate poverty from the face of the Earth?”

Some people are afraid of what may be, but are insensitive to what already is. They are afraid of political changes that may reduce their privileges, but they ignore the reality of widespread poverty and social injustices that currently affect so many in their own countries. They bring to mind the worst of socialist dictatorships and imagine themselves living in poverty, standing in long lines, and scrambling for their next meals, but display little compassion for those who are actually hungry, homeless, and destitute, right here, right now. They talk about a ghost that may arise and impact their lives negatively, but are unable to see the monster that already is here, impacting so many lives. They are unable to see the injustices and inequalities created by unregulated and unrestrained capitalistic practices that lead to concentration of wealth, inequalities, and social instability.

Communist dictatorships, with the suppression of liberties and all the other negative impacts they brought about, have proven to be terrible regimes, and that’s why they failed, and why those that still exist are also destined to fail. Those who are afraid that communist regimes may arise in their countries, no matter how improbable this may be, display valid concerns. But they should be kindly invited to let go of the fear, and come to a place where they can think logically and see that equating those who strive to bring about healthy social democracies to their countries—such as those in the Scandinavian societies—to communists is an unfair and mistaken overreach.

In the final analysis, it is the same old clash between fear and love, between selfishness and unselfishness.

Are we so fearful of what may happen to us in the future that we are unable to take care of those who are suffering right now? Can we come to our senses? Can we be courageous enough to overcome our fears, give ourselves permission to intelligently envision other possible societal arrangements, and implement the necessary social and economic reforms that have the potential to make everyone’s lives better?

I repeat: “Heaven is here, if we want it to be.”

Piero Falci teaches Mindfulness Meditation and Mindful Living and the acclaimed Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program. He leads Insight Meditation Silent Retreats and organizes Silent Peace Walks. Piero is an educator who believes that the inner work that leads to personal awakening and transformation is indispensable to create a wholesome world. He is a promoter of peace who believes in advancing the idea that Heaven is here if we want it to be. "A Better Life in a Better World: Can Mindfulness Save Us from Ourselves?" is his latest book. For more information, visit his website www.pierofalci.com