would you rather be prepared for an opportunity and not have one; or have an opportunity and not be prepared for it?

i met a girl today who has seven children.
she's 26.
she had her first kid when she was 15 and 9 months old.
5 of the 7 kids are from different fathers.
she doesn't work. she feels no inclination to work.
the government uses the taxpayer's money to give her dole for being unemployed.
she also gets benefits because she is a single mother with children (7!)

i come from a country where you don't take even the basic necessities for granted
and,
am now living in a country where basic necessities are a basic right.

in india if you're unemployed, you could be starving pretty soon.
in australia, if you're unemployed the government will take care of you.
sounds good theoretically, but in practicality, there are so many who simply abuse it because they know they won't die if they don't work.

makes me wonder....
sometimes having everything isn't too good a thing either. its strange to know that there's a flip side to every story.....but then this is how human beings work always.

when you're growing up, there's the rich girl, the not-so-rich girl and the poor girl and no prizes for guessing who's spoilt and takes all her luxuries for granted. using the same analogy on a more macro level, it is the same for countries all over the world...and

it makes me wonder....
if there is such a thing as a perfect world...
i always thought a lack of opportunity curbed a man's dreams..
but now,
i think too many opportunities could make you stop dreaming all together!

"Life's ups and downs provide windows of opportunity to determine your values and goals - Think of using all obstacles as stepping stones to build the life you want"

- Marsha Sinetar