Your Inherent “Birthright” or “Wrong”?

I have heard it quoted more times than I can recall and I have quoted it myself, it is the reference to an “inherent birthright”. The quote itself seems very innocent and even justifiable; we all have an inherent birthright even though verbalizing it can come across as a little selfish and demanding at times. Perhaps the term could be modified to a “birth blessing” rather than a birthright as the more I think about it the more I can see that what we perceive to be our rights could be more accurately referred to as privileges bestowed upon us or blessings to be grateful for rather than something we seek to demand as a birthright.

Another thing I have come to understand is that if we want to adopt the term “birthright” then we also need to clearly be aware of the “inherent birth responsibilities” that are attached to anything that we think we are inheriting through our arrival here on the earth. With the understanding that we inherit a space on the earth should also come the understanding that we are responsible for the earth we occupy during our time here, we can never own the earth any more than someone can own the sparkle on the water.

The culture of the western world today is to demand and consume without any thought or concern for the environment or fellow humans, either those here now or the generations to come. I know for me, the next time I am tempted to claim my “birthright” I will be more mindful of my inherent responsibilities to the earth and to humanity. It is time for a shift in our thinking, it is time to reassess the way we view the earth and our place in the grand scheme of things. To shift our world view away from what we think we are entitled to and focus on what is greater than just “self” will yield immeasurable rewards.

Our future can be beautiful, we are in a position to be all that we were intended to be. To deny “self” the things that cause us harm and detract from our purpose here along with the ability to resist harmful “selfishness” is the mark of one who understands the greater things; it is the only way forward.