It is not unusual to be overwhelmed by someone who is older and perhaps wiser than you. Many times we feel that if someone has been around longer they should be a bit more advanced than us and so we may tend to follow their lead.

The United States of America has for many years, made us believe that while they are older, they are also stronger and wiser than us. They call themselves a first world country and refer to us and so many other countries in this region as third world.

In many respects we are not on their level. We do not have their money or manpower to do what they do in terms of technological development and advancement. They spend millions of dollars on protecting themselves from terrorist attacks and innovative communication technology, but how much money is spent on human development or is that not a consideration when one attains first world status?

Last week, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton spoke about the need for a nation-wide pre-kindergarten programme for this first world country. Speaking to Matt Lauer of the Today Show from the library at North Beach Elementary School in Miami, Florida, Senator Rodham Clinton said that investing in pre-K classes would pay off in higher test scores, a stronger workforce and lower crime.

Rodham Clinton called for the federal government to give states $5 billion for pre-K classes. Floridians have already been wise enough to see the need to introduce education to their citizens; however the government of this first world country has not apparently seen the benefits to spending money on educating its entire people.

The third world nation of The Bahamas had the wisdom more than ten years ago to develop and construct an infant and early childhood centre. Prior to this national development initiative, our children were already receiving pre-kindergarten training at various private institutions.

The government recognised the importance of beginning the educational development of its people as early as possible and put into place instruments that would measure and evaluate these private training centres. Furthermore, the government of The Bahamas created its own Early Childhood Education centres at various primary schools.

Yes, the economists would not rate us on par with the United States, and nor do I suggest we are on their level in that regard. However, we should not count ourselves short or far removed from them in terms of who we are and how we have progressed.

So often in our lives we compare ourselves to others and make judgements and perhaps even ridicule ourselves because of who we perceive them to be. From the outside, one can appear to have it all together, but on closer scrutiny, you will see all the blemishes and scars that cannot be so easily concealed.

I can pile a heap of dirt into a box and wrap it up in some very pretty paper topped off with a spectacular bow. I can give this exquisitely wrapped gift to you, with a smile of course, and you will believe that what is on the inside is going to be grand.

We usually spend a particularly long time preparing the outside when we know that we have not done anything special to prepare the inside. We would be immaculately prepared on the outside, while we are depressed, lonely and sad on the inside.

Similarly then, so many in this world perceive the older and stronger United States of America to be well oiled and evenly keeled on the inside the same way it presents its outer self. Whether you believe this or not, what you must focus on this week is whether or not you are third world hiding out as a first world.

This week I challenge you to come out from under the protective layers that cover up who you really are. If there are some things going on that you do not like, work towards changing it. If you are third world today because of your fears, doubts and emotional shortcomings, spend this week moving yourself into the first world status that you were called to be.