Being Consumed by Consumption

Material things don’t lead to happiness – we do know this inherently, but so many of us are caught in the consumption trap and find it difficult to get out.  Advertising does a magnificent job of selling in a way that connects people on an emotional level to their products, through feelings like pride, envy, fear of missing out and competitive one-up-manship.  It’s frustrating when we recognise that we have fallen for the lie, and what once felt like an item you just couldn’t live without now sits at the back of the cupboard, unused. 

         Enjoying the freedom of a trip to the beach - it costs nothing but adds to our life immensely!

With easy access to bank and store credit cards so many make the mistake of putting the “I wants”  before “I need”, buying things with money that isn’t even theirs.  In an era when we have so much opportunity to accumulate wealth for ourselves and our families, why is it that we only seem to accumulate things?? 

We consume a variety of resources and products today having moved beyond basic needs to include luxury items and technological innovations to try to improve our lives. Such consumption beyond basic needs is not necessarily a bad thing in itself, as throughout history we have always found ways to make our lives a bit easier to live.  But when the consumption and continual spend results in spiraling debts and traps us in jobs we no longer enjoy, we need to fess up to the fact that our consumption is getting the better of us.

Recognising that we are already abundant is essential to getting off the consumption binge and getting our financial health on track.  Bob Griffiths in his book Do What You Love For the Rest of Your Life says we need to recognise that we already have enough.  He says that a most liberating affirmation that helped him change his perception of the need to accumulate material possessions is: “I will have enough only when I realise that I already do.”

We don’t really need more than we already have!  As Bob says “The reality is that on any given day we don’t need anything except food.  We already possess clothing, shelter and all the other genuine needs of our lives, plus much, much more.”  Another affirmation that Bob suggests may be helpful is “ Today, I have enough; therefore I need nothing.  I desire all that I already have; therefore I have no wants.”

By changing our attitude towards consumption and detaching ourselves emotionally from material things we are taking a step closer to our financial freedom.  By understanding our household budget, we should get to know how much we need to spend on essential items, and recognize how much money we waste on things that don’t make an impact on our lives.  I’m certainly not saying that we shouldn’t spend our money on fun and entertaining activities.  They are essential of course, for leading a truly abundant life!  But discretionary spending on things where at the end of the month you look at the bank balance and can’t for the life of you think where your wages have gone is not wise and needs to stop.

If you have any thoughts on our attitude to consumption, I’d love for you to share them.  You can write me a post or send an email to livewelllivesmart@gmail.com .