What Should We...What Could We...Ask For In Life?

I recently responded to this Quora question: "What should people ask for in life knowing that very little is given?"

I think it's fair to ask for a little peace and quiet when we need time to recharge from emotional stresses--as individuals, as a nation, and as a global community.

Intrusive government, intrusive corporations, intrusive individuals seeking our time 24/7 and keeping the noise level up do raise our anxiety levels to almost intolerable heights.

We reach emotional and intellectual (and sometimes physical) breaking points as human beings, and when we do, we begin to embrace irrational actions, speak angrily, play out our frustrations internally and externally. We begin to turn on ourselves and each other.

When that happens, we--as human beings, as groups of humans--put up defensive walls and shields, while preparing tools of aggression (verbal and printed) with which to push back against attacks real and perceived in frustrating efforts to try to hold our own high ground.

All of this is such a waste of our time and fragile sanity, as individuals and as nations. If we could only focus on those positive goals of personal and social importance without the cacophonous cataracts of contrived fury and manufactured messages of misinformation designed to disunify and shift our centers of gravity.

The question rightfully notes that little is given, but that should not act as a lid on human aspirations and common comity.

We may not be given more than the lives we wear and the lives we share, but we can give each other a chance to explore the richness and interconnectedness of those lives.

Turn down the volume, turn up the respect. Listen to the peace that is all around us.