It’s safe to say Americans take much more than just 5 things for granted, but this article outlines a few we can think about today. Maybe after you’ve read the article, you can think of a few more of your own, as well as some things you personally do appreciate.


After seeing the feet of poverty, you’d never again take for granted your 5-20 pairs of shoes, some of which you’ve worn only a handful of times. Some of these feet walk on hot black asphalt in the dirtiest streets, they wear shoes that do not fit, inappropriate shoes like sandals in the winter, and holy out-of-style tennis shoes from 1980.

Clean Water

Clean water is such an issue for some parts of the world that well over 10 blogs and more organizations dedicate their platforms to the cause. In some parts of the world, having water that is safe enough to brush your teeth with it, is a blessing. Even natural sources of water across the globe are unsafe to drink from without requiring medication afterward. In some parts of the world, heat and dehydration are so much a daily threat to their residents, that they must carry around a gallon of clean drinking water to survive.


Some folks in other countries cannot leave their homes when they want to, sometimes due to law, obligation, or a lack of transportation completely. Yes, there are parts of the world where no one has a car! In some places, your opportunity to leave may come expensively and in the form of the most crowded bus you can imagine, with people sitting practically on top of one another. One person of that many is bound to stink up the bathroom during your voyage and you will absolutely endure the smell of sweat and body odor for the duration of your trip, too!

Public School and College


Almost 70% of high school graduates in the United States now enroll in post-secondary education systems (colleges). You’d think that this 5 million enrollment increases in the past 15 years would mean that the American people have increased the sense of value they associate with their education, but that’s not the case. While young men and women in other parts of the world have no access to education from even Kindergarten through high school, Americans are paying for alarmingly high tuition and not even attending their courses!

Waste Management Services

More than half of the world’s nations don’t have access to regular trash pick-up while Americans produce 236 tons of waste annually. This data puts us as the #1 most wasteful country in the world, second is the Russian Federation (207.4 tons), and then Japan (52.36 tons). Concerned advocates of people and the environment call it a crisis because the consequences being overlooked are the pollution of nature, adding to the public health’s vulnerability, and sometimes drowning poor country’s in our relocated waste.

It’s easy to forget how easy and care-free our lives can be in America when daily, we coast without interruption, but consider the effects of your ungratefulness on a larger scale. Our attitude has and will continue to effect other countries. Your effort, whether for change or for staying the same, will effect others and finally, make its way back to the states and your backyard, or your future generation’s backyards. What are you grateful for today? Take a moment to reflect on all that you’re blessed with!