THE CONSUMPTIVE WORLD

Like it or not, we live in a consumptive world today. At almost every moment we are driven to consume:  products, food, ideas. Media and advertisements thrive on creating an insatiable appetite for something NEW.

Flashy, attractive ads float across our eyes and ears, and seep into our consciousness in subtle ways. They pry on our desires, fears, insecurities, and innermost thoughts. They feed the appetite for MORE, and before it is all over, they have compelled us to buy the NEXT thing we knew we couldn't live without.

This is a cheap and hollow cycle that leads to nowhere. Once you step off that hedonistic treadmill, and once the high from the burst of retail therapy and serotonin has worn off, you're right back at square one -- trying to fill the void with another new thing.
However, at any point in time, you can choose to step off that treadmill and start being more deliberate with the things you bring into your life. Ask yourself:

• Is that next item necessary? 
• Is it going to add anything to my life?
• Is that item or product going to take away from my life in any way?

Maybe the last question is even the most important. In some cases, we end up being controlled by the very same products we thought would serve us, and make our lives easier. Case in point, one buys a shiny, expensive luxury sedan to broadcast status among their peers, only to fall victim to have to shine and wax that car every weekend, and maintain an expensive tune-up schedule. Clearly that product won! Or at least in some cases that would be true. Who knows, maybe shining up that car really does add something to someone's life. For me, it seems like an utter waste of time. Luxury sedan owners exit stage right. 

The point is, people need to learn to not fall victim to the consumer-driven world that we live in. There is nothing wrong with wanting new products, and there is nothing wrong with advertising per se, but when we are so driven and compelled by the ads and images we see, it is time to take a step back. You can force yourself to stop and really evaluate each purchase to see if it is really going to add to your life. This will not only help to save you money, but it will also keep your life from getting cluttered with a bunch of unnecessary junk.

Also, when contemplating purchases stay away from what is "cool" or "trendy." Commercials and ads are often selling some idea or version of "cool" along with the products. Get this and you will be cool. Look at this, cool people have this. You want to be cool, so get this. But, keeping up with what is cool and trendy is expensive and stupid and impossible really. Today, trends last about as long as a fart lingers. And, then of course, people are on to the next thing.


If you find yourself on this proverbial treadmill, get off. You will be happier. You will save money. And, ironically enough, you will end up being cooler and more authentic because YOU will be YOU. A plain white tee-shirt didn't make James Dean cool, James Dean was a plain white tee:  crisp, fresh, badass. That's authentic. You can't buy that in a store, no matter what ads try to say to the contrary. You have to strike out and get that on your own.