Prelude

You may be going deep in debt and not even know about it

Think about a time in your life when you felt very fortunate. It could be the moment when you realized that the long-lasting friendships you have from school days were out of pure chance. It could be that lucky break you had in your career when you just happened to be at the right place at the right time. Some of you may have experienced that serendipitous moment when you first met your spouse after a series of random events.

And then there are even more profound fortuitous moments that we rarely think about. These are things that shaped us even before our minds wrapped themselves in layers of consciousness – being born healthy, having nourished meals, gaining access to education, growing up in geography free from life-threatening conflicts.

Looking back at my life and observing the world we live in, this list could go on for me. What have I done to deserve this fortune? To put it crudely, nothing. I just happened to be born in an environment that fostered all the good things that have happened in my life. And if each one of you thinks hard enough, you will have a similar list.

Sadly, the opposite is also true. There are people in our communities who haven’t done anything to deserve the misfortune that life has presented them. They are taking on more than their fair share of poor luck and fighting on. So it is only in the natural order of things that we owe it back to those who were not dealt the same cards like us.

It is us, the ones privileged by serendipity, who are in debt of the surplus fortune that we borrowed from the rest.

So if you haven’t yet, then close your eyes and think about what you value the most in your life, however, granted you may have taken it for. Then share your time and dime to make it happen in the lives of those who don’t have it. The amount of effort or the money you contribute is immaterial. Your empathy and action are what matters.

So, how are you paying off your debt?