“The best things in life are not things.” This quote by Art Buchwald serves as a reminder of what matters most in life. Experiences, people, and values add significance to our lives.
In our materialistic society, the majority of individuals are more concerned with their possessions than with their true selves. Everywhere we look, society is putting pressure on us with a never-ending barrage of advertisements that try to convince us that if we purchase the designer clothes, the newest technology, or the larger, better, and more advanced goods, all of our problems would be resolved.
We are constantly being bombarded to buy, buy, buy to guarantee our happiness. We all know people who have it all yet are still struggling with happiness. Even current research shows that material things cannot buy you happiness.
Individuals who are obsessed with material belongings and wealth may be ignoring the fact that they are spiritually impoverished and unsatisfied with life. It’s like an addiction where they are promised a good time if they buy more to soothe their souls, but each time they feel less fulfilled and have to continue chasing the highs of materialism.
Imagine how different society would be if we prioritized spiritual, intellectual, and cultural values over pursuing excessive material possessions, money, and power.
I once read that we are born to love and that things were created to be used. Nowadays, we love things and use people. We value material things more than we do our relationships.
If you want to save money, save yourself, save the world, and save the planet, here are some “things” you can do to help you detach from the materialistic world:
- Practice gratitude: Count your blessings; focus on what you have, not what you don’t have.
- Declutter your space. Concentrate on what genuinely matters to you and makes you happy.
- By needing less, you will have more time for the things you enjoy, like traveling, exploring your surroundings and new locations, making new friends, and picking up new talents and pastimes. Instead of spending more money, spend more time with your loved ones and make those priceless memories and experiences.
- Do a regular, digital detox; limit your time on social media. Read a book, get out into nature, tap into your creativity, and give your inner child permission to play and have fun.
- Meditation and a mindful approach to living can increase awareness of your attitude towards material things and form deeper connections with both yourself and others.
You have the option to live on less in this era of consumerism rather than accumulating ever-increasing possessions. In addition to enjoying the simple pleasures in life, which are sometimes disregarded in the quest for happiness, you can begin to live a more authentic life and build more meaningful relationships.
The choice is always yours. You decide.
Antoinette Giacobbe M.A.
