Buying Things Doesn’t Make Me Happy
Aug 7th, 2011 by padma
Either they are really good at marketing, or my “self” is great at deceiving me, or probably – both.
Perhaps it’s not them, but me. Maybe I’m just not that strong.
Regardless, buy things doesn’t make me happy, yet I keep falling for the same tricks.
It’s always something…
Today it might have been a cello, while yesterday it was a new TV. The option isn’t really important, because no matter how I defend, using logic against emotion, against the feeling that I absolutely must buy something or my life isn’t complete, there’s always tomorrow with a brand new something that I suddenly must buy.
It’s a book, that I’ll probably never read.
It’s a video game, that I’ll probably stop playing after a day or two.
It’s a new yoga mat, or a pair of running shoes.
It’s always something to keep me from doing what I really should be doing, which is the hard work.
The hard work of meditation.
The hard work of writing.
The hard work of running.
The hard work of being compassionate.
The hard work of helping others.
Perhaps people felt this in a pre-consumerist world, but it doesn’t matter, because it is what it is.
Buying things might make you (or me) happy for a moment, but then it’s on to the next one, and damn that’s a hard thing to accept.
My emotions say “this is the last one, I promise!”
My rational mind says “you got me last time, I don’t believe you.”
Yet the emotion wins more often than not, and again I come to realize that this much is true:
The world, your mind, and everything outside of your own true nature, will try to convince you that you are not complete. You are complete…you just have to accept the responsibility that comes with that.
Are you ready to do that? Am I?
