How Much Does it Cost?
Most of us go through life always wanting more and better. Being
in this state of constant desire does not coexist with peace of
mind.
It is normal to want better lives for ourselves and our
families, but we have to balance our goals with the cost. How
much does this promotion, vacation, new purchase, cost in terms
of real life? How many extra hours of stress and anxiety, now
and later, go into getting it? With the fast paced living that
surrounds us it's difficult to avoid being swept in. Too many of
us are rushing through our daily lives to do more and to acquire
more. We are becoming less interested in our fellow humans as
friends and more as competitors as we try to keep up or to
possess more material goods.
There is a big push in this social direction by corporations and
their marketers. They are in business to make money for their
managements and shareholders, so this will likely continue if
there is not much resistance. Advertising is a powerful
persuasion to buy things we may not need or maybe not even
really want. The overall success of marketing has created a want
addiction for many consumers.
As more and more we come to falsely regard material gains as
success we are missing out on the true values of life. Money
really is quite necessary in our lives, but its value should not
be worshiped. The good things in life are free, life itself,
friendship, nature. Whatever we do possess, in the end we must
leave it all behind.
"The cost of a thing is the amount of what I call life, which
is required to be exchanged for it immediately or in the long
run." - Henry Thoreau (1817-1862)