It’s easy to express opinion on the ‘what’s’ and ‘ifs’ of life,
but rarely do individuals who feel so strongly about the
necessity to share more act upon their strongly formed
beliefs. One inspirational figure who has side-stepped the
guilt and ego tied up in arguing over proper societal
standards to live by is Jose Mujica, the president of
Uruguay who has willingly kept himself in lower societal
class to help others.
Mujica, 77, was elected in 2009 of the second smallest
nation in South America; however, he has no interest in
taking on the grand presidential life.
Humbly living in a farmhouse off the dirt road with his
wife, whom both toil the soil, Mujica has donates 90% of
his salary to charity and lives completely satisfied, clear
that he does not need more to appreciate life. The austere
leader earns approximately $12,500 a month, but only
keeps $1,250 for himself, the Spanish newspaper El Mundo
reported.
“I do fine with that amount; I have to do fine because there
are many Uruguayans who live with much less,” Jose told
the paper. His focus is on helping the poor and supporting
the entrepreneurs. Seeing beyond the temporary pleasures
afforded by consumer-driven living, his heart goes out to
all the people, knowing the best way he can help is to be
the change.
“This is a matter of freedom,” he told BBC News. “If you
don’t have many professions then you don’t need to work
all your life like a slave to sustain them, and therefore you
have more time for yourself.” Mujica’s passion for change
isn’t limited to the example he shares; instead, he’s also
intent on impressing his philanthropic ways to other world
leaders.
His philosophy on poverty and consumption was shared at
the Rio +20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable
Development
in June. “If all I’m doing is working to buy things to get
more, if society of consumption is the energy of everything,
where does this go?” he asked. “We need to start to fight for
another kind of culture.”
Openly accusing other world leaders of having a “blind
obsession to achieve growth with consumptions”, the
president is clearly in opposition to left-brained obsession
of achieving more whilst forgetting it’s people. His
argument draws in environmental factors and respect for
the societies governed by its many leaders.
And regarding his ‘poor’ lifestyle which has gained
criticism, Jose has remarked that, “I’m called ‘the poorest
president’, but I don’t feel poor. Poor people are those who
only work to try to keep an expensive lifestyle, and always
want more and more”.
Thanks to Jose’s plight, Uruguay is on the forefront of
change; becoming one of the first nations to possibly
legalize Marijuana and drive focus to helping all of its
people, many more positive changes are sure to be
implemented.
In Jose Mujica’s logic, if we are all here together in the
same world, shouldn’t we take care of our brothers
and sisters? What areas of your life could you give
more from?

See this humble act of leadership and sacrifice, can any nigeria president do soo.......
http://www.trueactivist.com/president-of-uruguay-donates-90-of-his-salary-to-charity/

First to talk........