The other day, I was driving along and thought to myself, ‘What would my life look like if I’d been born somewhere else?‘
Seriously, though, Imagine being born in a war-torn region where survival is a daily struggle. Or in a place where clean water is a luxury, education is a distant dream, and freedom is something whispered about, not lived. For billions of people, this is reality.
Now, bring it back to where we are—Western Australia. Here, opportunity isn’t just possible; it’s woven into our daily lives. I’m writing this in my dining room, AirPods in, sipping a hot coffee. My kids are deciding what Netflix show to watch. It’s a life of comfort, safety, and choice. And while it fills me with gratitude, it also stirs frustration.
Why? Because in this land of abundance, we have everything we need to live vibrant, healthy, purposeful lives—yet, we often sabotage ourselves.
We overindulge in food, drink, and mindless entertainment, treating excess as a right. We waste time nursing hangovers instead of getting outside and moving our bodies. We spend money on things we don’t need to impress people who don’t care.
We live in a place where almost anyone can afford to join a gym, buy fresh produce, or go for a run in a safe neighbourhood. Yet many choose not to. Somewhere in the world, a person can’t run because their legs don’t work—someone who can’t read because they’ve never been taught. And here we are, with these gifts, choosing not to use them.
This isn’t about guilt—it’s about perspective. Yes, life here isn’t perfect. People still face challenges—mental health struggles, financial pressures, relationship breakdowns. But we must ask ourselves: Are we creating some of these problems through our choices? Are we pandering to our comforts and abundance at the expense of our physical, mental, and emotional health?
Think about it. How many of our struggles stem from things we’ve chosen? Overeating. Overspending. Overindulging. We’re numbing ourselves to the life we’ve been given instead of living it fully.
And the irony? We know this. We know that caring for our bodies, minds, and hearts improves life. Yet, we make excuses. We say, “I don’t have time to exercise,” while someone out there dreams of having the freedom to walk outside without fear.
We complain that life is hard but hard compared to what? Somewhere out there, someone is fighting to stay alive in a place where speaking their mind could cost them everything.
We don’t need to punish ourselves for being lucky to live here. But we do need to honour the privilege by living better, choosing health over self-sabotage, and showing gratitude not just in words but in action.
It’s choosing to move your body because you can. It’s choosing to feed your mind and learning because you can. It’s choosing to stop wasting time on petty complaints and distractions and start doing something meaningful.
Our lives are here to be lived, not squandered. And the answer isn’t in sabotaging ourselves; it’s in becoming more human—more connected to our bodies, minds, and hearts.
The next time you feel stuck or frustrated, wanting something but not acting to get it, remember that someone out there would trade everything to have your challenges, freedom, and opportunities.
So, what will you do with the life you’ve been given? Will you step into it, live fully alive, push yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally because you can, and make it count?
We are born in such a beautiful time and place with so much opportunity. The choice is yours. Please don’t waste it.