Some of us are used with taking it all for granted. The house we live in, the water that comes out of the faucet, the car we start in the morning, the food we have on the table, the electricity which powers every device in our home, and the list goes on and on.

But, have you ever looked around you and realized the work others put into building everything and keeping it all going on a daily basis? Have you ever considered the very fragile balance of the nature which allows us to live the life we live today?

The world around us moves because all of us make it that way, on a daily basis. It’s like a huge machine, and every little turning wheel must work in sync with the others. And you are also part of this, a very important piece of the entire system, and you contribute every day, to make it all grow. You, are another turning wheel, and without you, the closest wheels will slow down.

Take a few minutes and become aware about your surroundings and the actions you perform on a daily basis. How many people contribute in order to get you going, and maintain the balance in your life? And please consider not only the people, but also the cosmic balance. Do you realize how lucky we are to live on a planet situated so perfectly on a orbit around the sun, that actually allowed life to evolve? If this balance is lost, the Earth can become the next Mars or Mercury.

Civilization as we know is possible thanks to the research, effort and dedication of some brilliant people in our history, and to the people who took those inventions and brought them closer to our home. Life as we know it today, started when some key inventions were put into practice.

The sewage system is probably one of the largest steps in reduction of disease and improving the quality of life. Removing human waste from the city is what took Roman Empire to the next level, by stopping disease spreading, and is what keeps your city nice and clean as well. Whenever you flush or open the tab, remember the system requires constant maintenance work, so someone is cleaning the pipes for you.

Life expectancy went up thanks to the evolution of medicine. So many researchers dedicated their entire life to finding cure for diseases, or inventing devices which will increase your recovery chances, in case it’s ever needed. Doctors spend their entire life continuously studying and are ready to attend your health state at any given moment of the day or night.

Living in a civilized world means you open your fridge door and food is there waiting for your, after you finished your weekly shopping session at the local supermarket. Or maybe you don’t bother with cooking, and you eat at your favorite restaurant. Take a moment and think about how much work is put into getting the food there, for us. Bringing water where is needed, and removing the waste, made agriculture possible. We all have easy access to food thanks to the farmers who dedicate their life to caring for the crops, and the truck drivers who deliver the food, cross country or continent, where is required. This wouldn’t be possible without oil, and mechanization. Have you ever wondered how dependent our society is on oil? It keeps us going, day by day!

All these efforts would be in wane if we wouldn’t have power lines. It’s impressive how much constant work is put into an electricity plant. Think about it, just to power it, we need either coal, gas, oil or nuclear power. Without a constant supply of these resources, making electricity simply wouldn’t happen. What would you do with an unplugged fridge and a disconnected stove. Not much, right? We pushed ourselves, as a society, to the limit of what we can do without electricity. If we don’t have power, there is no working sewage, food, medical aid. Basically, our world stops. When you switch on the lights next time, remember how many people maintain the power lines, so your home is powered and heated.

We love our freedom and we can’t wait to travel more, but would we be able to see the world without roads and means of transportation? The invention of the wheel and later, of the engine, made our world go round. We can transport our food, visit places, relocate,  thanks to all the researchers who invest so much energy into making us mobile and safe.

We went places, but would we have a home to come back to, if not for all the construction workers, and the dedicated people who work on quarries, to extract the building materials needed for our hoses and buildings? What about the metal and wood workers? Without them, we wouldn’t have any tools, and without tools, construction and invention would be slowed down, or even impossible. Our buildings wouldn’t look at all the way the look today, if not for all their work, right?

At the base of any civilized society are rules and safety. People like policemen and firefighters, have more than a job, what they do is a lifestyle. They keeps us safe. Most of the job they do, is done behind the scenes. You don’t even know they are there, but they keep society in order.

The ones above are only a small example. Just think about it. Everything you use was made by someone and it still runs because someone puts a constant effort into keeping it going. Every device and appliance was made after years of research and trials and needs electricity / gas / water to run. Without a constant background effort from others, life as you know it, wouldn’t be possible.

Considering this, take a few moments and be thankful for the lifestyle made possible, thanks to the effort of so many.The question is: how do you contribute to other people’s lives? If more people would ask themselves this question, life would become so much better for everyone.

Remember, you are also a small turning wheel. Your actions do matter. Choose wisely!