This week, Dr. Wayne Baker welcomes world-traveler, communicator and educator Gayle Campbell to share five world-changing truths. That’s Gayle with students gathered around her in the photo, above. And, here is Gayle’s last column…

This week we’ve been talking about world-changing truths, specifically what I learned during my year teaching in rural Honduras.

Monday we started off talking about the value of simplicity, and how happy community and creative vitality can exist even in the most modest of places. I found, believe it or not, that some days it was nice to lead a simpler life. I used time I might have otherwise spent online or in front of the TV often outside, sometimes with other people or cook, reading, etc.

As I mentioned on Monday, I loved watching kids play soccer on the local field. (The photo above, today, is from the village where I lived.)

There were far-from-pleasant experiences, too — water outages that lasted days, or week-long blackouts. But at the end of the year, I got to return to the U.S. and every modern convenience my heart desired.

Back in Honduras, everything stays the same. The least I can do is to be grateful for what I have now that I’m back.

So be grateful if you wake up every morning with reliable electricity and running water. Be grateful if your water is clear and doesn’t come out of the tap dirt brown. Be grateful if, on hot days, you can switch on the air conditioning, or on cold days, turn up the heat or take a hot shower. Be grateful if you have a garbage disposal, a cutting board, a dishwasher or a washing machine.

Be grateful if you own more than one pair of shoes, or more than a couple shirts. Be grateful if you have a grocery store closer than three hours away. Be grateful if you have paved roads. Be grateful if you have access to first-rate public health services and schools.

If you even have a third of what is listed here, you’re still in the top 3 percent of the world. You’re still doing better than 97 percent of other people. And for this, you should be grateful.

What sparks gratitude in your life?
What do you think of the five truths I've shared this week?

Originally published on OurValues.org.