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A Shortcut to Happiness -- Vote with Live 8

Did you see any of the Live 8 performances in support of stopping poverty in Africa? Here's your chance to create a shortcut to your own happiness by voting to help others. You can support the creation of the happiness of survival for them.

The Live 8 stated goal is to cancel poverty, beginning with eliminating death by starvation and polluted water.

There are times when life hands us the opportunity to support and affirm what is positive in very dramatic ways. This is one of those times.

They clearly made the point that given the wealth of the free world, death by starvation and polluted water is an anachronism, a throwback to earlier times when nothing could be done about it. The United States spends $2 billion a day on Iraq, reflecting the high value put on that cause.

Live 8 challenged the countries represented at the G8 meeting to provide $25 billion to demonstrate that death by poverty, by starvation and pollution is no longer necessary.

That would be ½ billion a day for a year from all the countries of the world. It can be done.

This letter is about the creation of happiness by accepting reality as it is, and the pursuit of the positives wherever they are possible.

The reality, what is, is that there is poverty in Africa.

Another reality is that the developed nations of the world have the money and skills necessary to stop poverty. The United Nations and other private aid groups are there.

So it is possible to erase starvation in Africa, should the G8 representatives decide to do so. Of course, success in Africa leaves starvation in other places to be addressed. But one continent at a time.

You can participate by joining with Live 8 and casting your vote for the elimination of poverty in Africa now at: http://www.one.org/ This is a small thing to do, costing you nothing but the time to make your commitment public.

By the time you receive this letter, the G8 meeting will be over, and their decisions will be history. But the lives of those who live in Africa and other poverty areas will go on.

So cast your vote anyway, to make it clear that this push for survival will not end when the G8 meetings are over, but will go on for the lifetimes of those 1 to 3 year olds who will be saved from dying by our efforts. Perhaps they can become the leaders of a world without death by starvation.

One of the most dramatic moments of the Live 8 performances occurred when Madonna brought onstage a lovely 23 year old woman, the picture of happinesss. She was captured on film 20 years ago as a three year old starving to death. She was emaciated, tragically a few days from death by starvation. Not a picture of happiness.

She was rescued by a program of aid at the time that enabled her to finish her educational degree and be present as a beautiful, successful individual at the Live 8 performance.

She is living evidence that eradicating poverty and death by starvation and polluted water is possible.

It is possible not only theoretically, as with the amount of money necessary, etc., but it is possible in personal terms, to save the lives of those who can grow up to make their own contribution to the welfare of mankind.

Now, go on, do your part. Vote!

Benjamin Conley is dedicated to helping people create happiness wherever possible, by accepting life as it is, nurturing the positive, and limiting the negative. Get his free white paper on How to Create Happiness in Your Life at http://www.go-for-happiness.com

He is a Marriage and Family Therapist, Pastoral Psychotherapist, author and speaker living in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. You can find out more information about him, his ideas, and his services at http://www.anthospublishing.com

(c) 2005 Benjamin B. Conley