Blogs abound about being thankful for all the usual things: loved ones, a roof over our heads, food on the table, good health—things that some of us take for granted, yet countless people don’t have. May we remember them with compassion and gratitude this holiday season.

My missive on thanks this year is about where we are at this time in evolution.

Think about it:

Nearly everything we need today (at least in the first world) is already here: the roads, the transportation system, the airports, schools, hospitals, stores, playgrounds, daycare centers. With our computers and cell phones we can find instant answers and access to the whole world with the tap of a finger (or talking to Siri). We can buy food from anywhere in most grocery stores, or find a restaurant to prepare most any dish we are hungry for. Even our garbage is hauled away for us, sorting and recycling something we might have used for only a few minutes (like a coffee cup). We can order most anything we desire from the Internet and have it arrive on our doorstep the next day. If you have a car accident, there is a service that rushes you to the hospital, police on the scene of a crime within minutes. For every practical human need, there already exists some way to address it, even if many of those needs remain unmet.

Our ancestors toiled long and hard for the things we take for granted today. In our modern homes, we live better than the kings and queens who suffered cold winters in stone buildings, and slept with fleas in their bed, facing short lifespans. We live at a pinnacle of privilege. 

The real question is:

What is all this FOR?  If we are given everything at the touch of a button, shouldn’t that free us up for something grand? Now that we no longer have to make our own soap, or sew our own clothing, or be limited to one small area of the world for the entirety of our lives—what are we to do with it all?  Zone out on TV?

We are the most privileged, most informed, and most capable population that has ever lived. Our potential is unprecedented. Our environmental and social challenges are equally unprecedented, but we have actually been given the tools to address them: tools of communication and creativity, tools for organization and information, tools to activate and co-create a world that works even better.

I think we are here to create Heaven on Earth. It’s a simple concept but not a simple undertaking. But maybe, just maybe, some form of it is  already here. We just need to appreciate what we have and make use of it for something grand.

I for one, am thankful to be alive at this amazing time. I am thankful for everything provided to free up my time to learn, to offer service, to create. I am thankful for everyone that works a tough job preparing food, or driving taxis, or cleaning toilets in an airport.  I am thankful for every resource I use, and try my best to put it to good use, to give back more than I take.

Thanks. It’s a simple word that we’re taught to say from the time we first learn to speak. We should be saying it all the time, but it’s nice to have a time of year were we are specially reminded.