We all have the power to do much good. Drawing inspiration from our beloved King and the Mahayana Buddhist teachings, through our daily actions, let's take personal responsibility in making our country better and stronger. By working together, we can all contribute to a culture of good citizenship and responsibility that strengthens our Nation. Doing this is our responsibility, and our gift, to our beloved King.

Our Constitution is a precious gift from our King. To ensure the success of parliamentary democracy in our country, we must all participate responsibly in the election process to elect the right leaders. In order to ensure that the blessings of His Majesty’s gift endure and extend for generations to come, we must do our part to defend the principles and fundamental rights enshrined in our Constitution. Check out Election Commission of Bhutan website - www.election-bhutan.org.bt

Corruption is one of the greatest obstacles to economic and social development. In order to fulfill His Majesty’s aspiration to root out corruption, we must refrain from getting involved in corrupt practices while helping the concerned organizations fight this evil. Check out Anti Corruption Commission website - www.anticorruption.org.bt

His Majesty had put his life at great risk to drive out the Indian militants and in dealing with the Ngolop problem. It is the most important responsibility of every Bhutanese citizen to ensure that our borders are well guarded and that no foreigners enter our land illegally, and to preserve and promote our unique culture and distinct identity. Check out Cultural Trust Fund website - www.ctf.gov.bt

The unique concept of Gross National Happiness embodies His Majesty’s enlightened wisdom, compassion and love for his people. We must continually seek to find the right balance between material, emotional and spiritual needs in our own lives. Learn more about GNH from the following websites - www.bhutanstudies.org.bt and www.bhutan.gov.bt/government/gnh.php

Bhutan is considered one of the most beautiful places on earth, but careless littering and garbage management is emerging as one of the most difficult problems in our cities. Behaviors - like littering - can be changed by accepting personal responsibility for our own actions and by influencing the actions of others around us. Each and everyone of us has a role to play in keeping Bhutan clean and beautiful. Check out Beautiful Bhutan initiative website - www.inbhutan.com/bb.html

Recognizing the good that comes from helping others, we must work together to build a strong culture of service and responsibility that encourages every Bhutanese citizen to reach out to the needy. By extending a hand to those who suffer, we can demonstrate kindness and compassion, and inspire others to serve causes greater than ourselves. Check out Tarayana Foundation website - www.tarayanafoundation.org

Switch off that TV, read a story to your child and help him/her develop the good habit of reading. The ability to read is the gateway to educational excellence and a key to success. Beside the academic knowledge, we also need to recognize the importance of instilling good character, responsibility and moral values. Parents are the first and best example of character in a child's life. We must never forget that our children are our next generation of leaders, and they carry with them the hope of our Nation. Check out Youth Development Fund website - www.youthdevfund.gov.bt

Alcohol and drug addiction divides families, destroys lives, friendship, ambition and moral conviction, and threatens the well-being of our country. We must share the responsibility to create awareness and confront these dangers. HIV/AIDS has inflicted a terrible toll upon the world, taking millions of lives and causing untold grief to the families and friends of its victims. People get HIV/AIDS because of unprotected sex. The number of HIV/AIDS cases in our country is increasing every year. We have both the responsibility and the opportunity to help prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS. Check out RENEW website - www.renew.org.bt

Each year we lose hundreds of acres of precious forest, lives and wildlife habitat to destructive wildfires. While fires are powerful and destructive, they are preventable. We have a shared responsibility to join our government in creating awareness and finding commonsense ways to prevent forest fires and protect our valuable natural resources.

Entrepreneurship and small businesses are vital to our Nation's prosperity. It provides self-employment and creates meaningful jobs for our educated youth. In the world’s greatest economy (USA), entrepreneurship and small business development is the foremost cause of its rapid development, strength and greatness. Approximately 75 percent of net new jobs in the US are created by entrepreneurs and small businesses, and represent 99.7 percent of all American employers. We must help our emerging entrepreneurs start and run small businesses and realize their dreams. We can encourage entrepreneurship by fostering the right mindset, by raising awareness of career opportunities as an entrepreneur or a self-employed person. In that, we keep our economy moving forward, create new jobs and strengthen our nation.

In urban centers like Thimphu the Bhutanese life style is changing dramatically and we now have little or no physical exercise. Physical fitness is vital to a healthy lifestyle and a longer life. Maintaining an active lifestyle reduces the risk of chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, asthma, heart disease, and most cancers. We can improve our health and well being by dedicating a small part of each day to physical activity. Beside others, hiking and camping in the splendors of our great outdoors, can be a wonderful opportunity to enjoy our country’s natural beauty and, to learn and teach our children about our rich and valuable environment and natural resources. Many foreigners travel half way around the world, paying lots of money, to come and experience the natural beauty and unique culture of our country. We are fortunate to have them all free. Check out Health Trust Fund website - www.bhtf.gov.bt and Move For Health website - www.move4health.gov.bt