Learning to Not Be Consumed with Consumption
Have you ever stopped to notice the interesting actuality that society tends to measure our worth in terms of "things?" Funny when you think about it, really, that success sort of hinges on how productive we are and how many THINGS we procure. Material items and the accumulation of such has become a fixated goal in this modern-day civilization. 
Artwork by crusty-punk
- If I can work more,
- I can buy more,
- I can own more,
- I will have more to exhibit,
- and this will prove my "value."
Hmmm...what a backwards way of thinking, I say. This whole concept sort of hit me yesterday when I was pushing my oversized red cart through the corridors of Target. Checking off items on my little list, I cruised along, noticing the enticing price point products that capped off the fluorescent-lit aisles. Sure, the gist of my list included "the essentials," but it still made me think about the mass of THINGS that we fill up our homes and lives with.
When we get to the end of life's road, just HOW important will those THINGS be? Will we sit before it all and add it up? Pat ourselves on the back and round up the neighbors to show it all off? Of course not. It will be the least of our concerns. It will be the faces of those whom we love that will matter. The memories of the happiest of our days. The gratitude and appreciation that we feel in our hearts. It will be the internal sentimentality that matters; not the external accumulation of our consumption.
Believe me, I know that this mentality is hard to escape from and tough to break. We are so conditioned to go, go, go...work, work, work... buy, buy, buy...that stepping back from it all is unequivocally tricky. But maybe if we just think, reflect and make an effort to steadily refrain from partaking of that engrained mantra of capitalism, we will learn to fill up our baskets with more truth, more love, more memories and more happiness.
When all is said and done, the conglomeration of material goods is no match for true happiness and experiences. We don't want to miss the most vital opportunities that life has to offer by being too consumed with consumption.
I have the default signature on my email set so that each message I send ends with this quote:
"Happiness is not to have more, but to be more."
I strive to live by these words, because I truly believe that when all is said and done, that the "things" in life are just that...thing-a-ma-bobber THINGS.
Photo by kalandrakas
Monday, July 27, 2009 at 9:22AM
Reader Comments (8)
Yes, yes, and yes again!
I'll give all of my material stuff away for your intelligence right now. :-)
Love this! So very true, and it's good to learn this as early in your life as you can. The best "things" in life aren't "things."
Agreed.
Amen. (Hi Jinxi!)
jinxi, i just love it when you get deep, so please allow me...every day at work, i see the faces of deceased loved ones. usually they don't arrive with much, aside from maybe a few small trinkets or articles of clothing. but i often look at them and think "i hope they lived well' or "i hope they were loved". Never is it "i hope they had tons of stuff". true story. in the end, all that remains is an encyclopedia of stories, experiences, lessons, and knowledge. that's the stuff that will live on. eventually the rest will be forgotten.
I went through this as well a few years ago and decided to follow the "2/3" rule. I didnt use 2/3 of my possessions, so i packed up the truck and mde a drop off at our animal shelter for their town garage sale. I ended up movng some large pieces of furnature to the garage freeng up window space in my room. With lots more sunshine and fresh air, my 7 cats now more or less constantly keep me company while i am studying while fighting for a spot in one of the windows. Its a simple little thing tha i was missng out on that is a source for daily smiles and stories. ; )
I went through this as well a few years ago and decided to follow the "2/3" rule. I didnt use 2/3 of my possessions, so i packed up the truck and made a drop off at our animal shelter for their town garage sale. I ended up movng some large pieces of furnature to the garage freeing up window space in my room. With lots more sunshine and fresh air, my 7 cats now more or less constantly keep me company if i am studying while fighting for a spot in one of the windows. Its a simple little thing that i was missing out on that i would have completely lost if i kept the lifestyle i had been leading. The funny thing is, i dont even notice the crap thats gone, but if one of our critters fails to pay me a visit in the evenings, i do.
Wonderful post Jinxi!