Is my apartment half empty or half full?

This past week as I've been helping out with child care at New Staff Training, I've noticed how often I've had to encourage the children to share. In particular, the 2 year olds never seem content with the toy they are playing with. More often than not, such a child is sitting on a large pile of toys when they spot the one lone child playing with a single toy and then they rush over in desperation to get that one toy they don't have. It's amazing how much these kids mirror reality.

What surprises me is that even from an early age it seems so much easier to identify what one does not have versus what one does have. What's even more surprising is that not only does the child who already has a pile of toys identify what they do not have quicker, but it is that same child who is the quickest to act upon that fact.

As I think about just a handful of the current world dilemmas, (significant global water shortages, food shortages, environmental destruction), I am curious to see how the nations who have (ie. mainly America) choose to respond. To this date the track record hasn't been to great. It seems like the response has been more of the child who already has the majority of toys and despite that apparent wealth chooses to continue to hoard at the expense of the other child.

On a personal level, how often do I partake in the same. Do I spend more time thinking about what I have versus what I do not have. I have to admit that in general its a lot easier to think about what I do not have. It's a shock to realize how greedy a heart I have.