No, I don’t want slavery. But it seems that we are lured into it every day by our wants. Wants that are fueled by the ………….media and mass marketing!! Every time we are not happy with having enough, we tread into the waters of self-imposed slavery. It’s all in your perspective, actually. People in less fortunate geographic locations would view having their needs met, as being wealthy. If we were to simplify our lives to only wanting what we need, we would be wealthy beyond our wildest dreams. Our quest for more of everything is what keeps us looking for more money, bigger homes, newest cars and gadgets. We tell ourselves that, if I only get that (fill in the blank) I will be happy.
Our wants are what enslave us. It’s by design. We are easily controlled by the alure of that shiny new object. It’s how we trap animals, by the way. Our desire for things that we don’t have keeps us running the treadmill, chasing the carrot dangling by a string. Gratitude is a powerful equalizer for Want Slavery. Every time we shift from lust to thankfulness, we find a taste of freedom.
There is a fine line between what we need and what we want. When is enough, enough. Once we have a healthy mind and body, a roof over our heads, food in the fridge, clothes on our backs, we really don’t “need” much more. Now don’t get me wrong, I like more than the basics as much as the next person. Having a goal to get something nice is fine. It’s when we are consumed with consuming that we start to give up our peace of mind and our free time. It’s when we sacrifice our wellbeing to work our lives away. We sacrifice our precious time with loved ones. I suppose we just need to be mindful of what is truly of value in our lives.
Life is full of abundance if we just choose to see it.
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