An Ideal Leader.

By: Daniela Silva

As an expansive species, it is easy to overhear others intentions for good in this life, but not many truly become motivated enough to achieve and conclude what they strongly believe should transpire within this world. One man has become an ideal example of an individual who has acted beyond sole opinions and has done a prodigious act; Jose Mujica the president of Uruguay has kept himself within a lower social standard to better impact his people.

At the ripe age of 77, Mujica was elected in 2009 of the second smallest nation in south america; however the riches that follow with a presidential life was of no interest to this palpable man, he had better things to do.

Ingloriously living within a farmhouse with his wife, Mujica has donated 90% of his salary to charities and lives his life completely satisfied, assured that he does not need more than the $1,250 of $12,500 he keeps to maintain and appreciate a modest life.

“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. He keeps his focus on guiding and providing aid for the poor and supporting entrepreneurs. Thinking and acting beyond temporary pleasures by consumer-driven living, this mans heart goes out to all of his people, knowing that an outstanding way to help the people is to provide the change that can better the standard of living.

“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 passionate examples for change isn't limited to what he shares with those around him; instead, he’s also anticipating a change by impressing his altruistic ideology to other world leaders.

His doctrine on poverty and consumer expenditure was contributed 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.”

Mujica has openly implicated that other world leaders possess a “blind obsession to achieve growth in consumption”, the president is undoubtedly in opposition to this left-brained obsession of presidential riches with no regards to the working people beneath it all. His argument draws in environmental factors and respect from societies that are governed by its many leaders.

His ‘poor’ lifestyle has gained criticism to which Jose defended with a conscious remark, “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 influential leadership, Uruguay is now considered a nation of gracious change; becoming one of the first nations to legalize Marijuana and a nation that is determined to ensure that all of its people are taken care of, many more positive changes are sure to be implemented.

In Jose Mujica’s logic, as a society can we reach out to our governments and ask them to slowly but surely follow Jose’s lead? Can you achieve your own selfless intentions and make a  difference in your community?