Consumerism and Peace of mind
There is no end to materialistic desires/possessions. The self-centrist approach to life gives birth to a tendency to run after money, acquire & hoard worldly goods/objects beyond one’s need to the extent that it even pollutes one’s mind with inclination to grab what belongs to someone else thus generating unhealthy competition, tension, conflict & violence. The mind becomes restless & distracted resulting in loss of inner peace. Money cannot buy peace and happiness. Monitor, restrain and curb the urge to own more money, gems, gold, land or other valuables. Self-restraint, self-control & self-detachment imbibed in thoughts, the virtues and values acquired on judicious introspection, helps one find bliss and peace.
Quest to Overachieve & Overreach - A Sign of Imbalance
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A person usually reaches home after work late, tired & irritated. One day he/she finds his/her 5 year old child waiting for him/her at the door. The little child asks his/her parent “how much money do you make an hour?". The parent is furious and angrily replies “I make Rs 100 an hour." I work long, hard hours every day t0 buy you food, dress, toys etc. The little child quietly, head bowed, went to his room.
The child saves his/her pocket money over a month. The person, a month later, again finds his/her little child waiting for him at the door. The moment person enters home the child says "Dear Parent, I have Rs 100 now. Can I buy an hour of your time?"
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“Do you Think the person has been so selfish not to give time to his/her child." If it is what you feel with respect to person’s choices & lifestyle, it is worth examining in order to balance our own lives also for a more rewarding experience.
Sometimes, unknowingly, we create imbalance while in our pursuit to overachieve or need to be the best at something. Overachievers are people who have achieved but still feel the need to do more, creating an imbalance in their lives. People who exhibit this behavior may be trying to compensate for feelings of insecurity & doubts about their worth. They may be chasing unresolved issues from their past into the present, or they might not be looking at their lives as a whole, but judging themselves based only on one aspect of their being.
If we do not permit ourselves to experience & enjoy the present moment, putting pleasure off for later in the future, we are being driven to achieve more than is truly essential. Pushing ourselves selfishly to the exclusion of important people in our lives, or beyond the point of exhaustion, robs us of true & meaningful joy. We need to look to those we love & admire and note what we like about them, divert those feelings towards ourselves in order to realize what we value about life & allow our priorities to shift from chasing after an elusive feeling to being fully present in the moment so that we can live our lives in the now.
When we put the energy that we have been devoting to a phantom sense of achievement into the truly satisfying aspects of our lives, we can restore the balance between our inner and outer worlds and experience true joyful peace.
