Unleashing The Power Of Goal Setting To End Poverty

We all have dreams, wishes, and great ideas, yet everyone I know who is wealthy, healthy, and happy, AKA successful at making their dreams come true believes in – and practices –  the power of goal-setting.

Napoleon Hill, the author of “Think And Grow Rich” {and unarguably the “father of personal development”} once said that “a goal is a dream with a deadline.” This powerful concept has been proven by numerous studies, because a written goal is more likely to be achieved than a simple intention.

The United Nations is tapping into the power of goal setting to rid the world of extreme poverty, promote justice and equality, and protect our beautiful Earth for the generations that are yet to come. In all countries. For all people.

The UN has identified the Sustainable Development Goals — 17 global goals for sustainable development that will set the world’s agenda for the next 15 years. The 17 goals will be officially adopted by 193 world leaders at the UN Sustainable Development Summit, September 25-27 in NYC.

 Do you dream of a power that can end poverty in all its forms everywhere?

If you share this vision, then you can help share these goals, because they are a framework for concrete actions, a global to-do list that makes the world a better place for everyone.

I decided to use my voice and my platform to let you know about this because these topics, and especially the topic of poverty, are very close to my heart and a huge part of my mission.

When I was a little girl, growing up in the Dominican Republic, I lived first hand the effects of poverty. We lacked proper nutrition, water, sanitation, clothing, shelter, and healthcare. We were blessed by parents who sacrificed all they had to make sure we received an education, but others couldn’t afford that luxury.

Fetching water, eating from the trash, walking a long journey to school with holes in my shoes, an outgrown hand-me-down uniform, no text books, and no electricity to study at night… I often questioned my self-worth, felt humiliated, and hopeless. And to think that we were among the most privileged in my neighborhood.

No child should have to go through these experiences, yet, extreme poverty is a reality for more than half the children living in the world! Poverty is not a virtue, it’s a global challenge.

I would often struggled wondering why many seemed to live in what I then considered to be luxury, while we experienced so much misery, deprivation and despair. Through my parents’ efforts in self-improvement and arduous work, I soon realized that poverty in an abundant world is not a result of laziness or lack of qualification, but of uneven distribution of wealth due to greed and thirst of power. I was also empowered with the discovery that if poverty wasn’t the product of my personal doom, I could actually break free from it.

“In this new century, millions of people in the world’s poorest countries remain imprisoned, enslaved, and in chains. They are trapped in the prison of poverty. It is time to set them free. Like slavery and apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings. And overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice. It is the protection of a fundamental human right, the right to dignity and a decent life. While poverty persists, there is no true freedom.” ~ Nelson Mandela

So back to goal setting, I was 7 years old when I set the goal to pursue a different quality of life. I was somehow certain that I was not meant to be counted among the starving, the parched, the oppressed, the naked, the sick, or the dying, but that I was born for a different purpose and destiny. I have been able to turn it around for my children, which is bittersweet considering that my peers’ kids are being raised in the same conditions they and I were.

All children are born for greatness, though not all can see beyond their circumstances. Survival may just be their only goal.

But we CAN change that. We can unite our voices and our power to dream a lofty dream and set a lofty goal. We cannot change the past, but we can be an integral instrument in creating a new future. And not just for our own, but for all children in this gorgeous planet we are blessed to live in.

The Global Goals have proven to work in creating a safer, happier, fair world for our children. We can be the first generation to end extreme poverty, changing – and saving – many lives in the process.

“Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable… Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

Would you use your passionate concern to tell everyone you know about The Global Goals?

Jack Canfield, my mentor, and author of the New York Times Best Seller “The Success Principles,” stated that there are two things that prevent us from achieving our vision, dreams, and ideals:

1. We don’t share it
2. We don’t break down our vision into objectives

You can become involved in this amazing movement just by sharing The Global Goals with the people you know, and contributing in a meaningful way to see these goals become manifest. Here’s how:

• Connect on Twitter @UN and @TheGlobalGoals
• Post using #GlobalGoals #SustainableDevelopment on your social media channels
• Follow on Facebook and @TheGlobalGoals on Instagram
• Use the materials and lesson plans at http://wlltoolkit.org/ to teach your kids (at school or homeschool)
• or simply go to http://www.globalgoals.org/ and find ways to take action and tell everyone so we can create a movement around The Global Goals.

I dream of a world in which children have access to safe drinking water, nutritious food, empowering education, protective clothing, quality healthcare, and secure shelter. And I’m in tears thinking that thanks to the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit, my dream has a deadline: 2030!

How will you contribute to make The Global Goals a reality? I can imagine you’re as excited as I am to see global change happen… in your lifetime!

Images courtesy of Getty Images and http://www.globalgoals.org. This post was NOT compensated.

[ela]