Being ambitious in life, we strive to make our today better than yesterday, be it in developing a new good habit, a new good relation or a new good status. Earn more to have more?
Well, in the present times when there is an ongoing trend of “proving our existence”, being active as citizens and netizens, the greed of demand of products to enhance the quality of life as compared to around us is increasing tremendously. In this greedy world, we are doing everything possible to lead a comfortable life.
While one part of us is towards the effort of enhancing good relations with society, the other is in the effort of having more in, than the society. And we relate both as proportionate to each other to scale up happiness. This practice in our everyday life has become the most important part of us of being in the rat race. Being rich is a mental satisfaction, more of a qualitative than a quantitative aspect. According to an observation, the individual difference in “greed” relates to financial behavior which refers to never be satisfied and always want more.
It has been analyzed according to an independent study, that while 73 per cent of people agree on paying excessive or unnecessary interest buying things of luxury which are beyond their affordability and requirement, 71 per cent agree their involvement in impulse buying, 68 percent agree in redundant or repeated purchase, 66 percent fails to return unneeded items after purchase, 62 percent agree using unnecessary energy, 62 per cent in buying luxury items, 59 per cent overpaying for digital services, 59 per cent purchasing name brand when generic is comparable, 58 per cent agree for not looking at a discount or comparing prices, 58 percent buying overpriced beverages, 51 per cent throwing out leftover or expired food, 48 per cent agree to dine in restaurants often and 46 per cent agree to upgrade well-functioning items to the newest models unnecessarily.
Well, where are we poor then? Earning more, spending more, and consuming more. Rich enough! Why are we not satisfied then? It's nothing but greed, the competition with self to have more than yesterday, “materialistically”. Now we all may agree to this as well that, the daily controversy we create about the imbalance in the demand and supply, the economic conditions and related fluctuations in the only world we have is somewhat because of our subconscious hoarding disorder, “Consumerism”.At present, the reason behind consumerism is associated with globalization in promoting the production and consumption of global traded goods and brands.
At present, advertisers play on our motivations by appealing to our desires in subtle ways. Advertisements are no longer based on communicating the actual facts about a product. Instead, they promise adventure, reputation, esteem, and joyful fulfillment. What inner motivations are subconsciously guiding our purchases? What motivations need to be rooted out? And what motivations need to find their fulfillment elsewhere?
Let's not be someone who thinks, "I can have something so I should have". It is in direct conflict with environmental limits on water, natural resources, and our ability to produce food, as well as contributing to waste and pollution problems. It sounds harsh but, consumerism is not just a silly and unhealthy road to great unhappiness, it is a horrible crime against creation, it is in reality, little more than a hurried exchange of priceless wonders for worthless crap. Let's stop and reevaluate, looking at the life we have created. Are we finding the time, money, and energy for the things that matter most? Have our possessions become a burden on our life in any way?
Just because our neighbors, classmates and friends are chasing a certain style of life doesn't mean we need to as well. Our life is too unique to live like anyone else. Let's recognize our trigger points. Are there certain fields that prompt unnecessary expense in our life? Are product addictions, or pricing patterns that prompt an automatic response from us?
It has been observed that at present there are many specific emotions (overwhelming, sadness, jealousy, loneliness, grief, etc.) that give rise to mindless consumption. Let's identify, recognize, and understand these weaknesses. Let's test our limits to give more things away, do more of what make us happy but not owing a whole bunch of belongings. Let's make intentionality our higher pursuit.
Identifying life's success and even happiness with money is the most destructive of evil curses on humanity, the source of all wars, of all lies, almost, of all diseases, of all wasted, unhappy lives and all torture to humans and nature.
Now here comes the mantra "MINIMALISM". It sounds trendy, but the philosophy of minimalism is timeless. Since past minimalism was a lifestyle, the same principles existed for thousands of years. Stoics and Buddhists have been teaching and living a minimalist lifestyle for what feels like forever. Minimalism is all about living with less. Need not be with less finance or less knowledge but with less financial burdens and unnecessary contemplation, less unnecessary expenses, and of course a conscious mind with great thoughts.
Minimalism has numerous myths, thoughts. Eventually, it may sound hard to accept to be a "Minimalist". But a minimalist simply focuses on cutting out as much ‘extra' as possible, reducing everything to a designed life that focuses solely on functions.
It does not mean compromising in life in terms of materials or thoughts, neither reducing the scale of happiness, but to enhance it with pertinent knowledge of knowing our "requirements" than the " needs". It is about getting rid of excess stuff and living life based on experiences rather than worldly possessions. Being a minimalist not only takes us to levels of acquiring new and upgraded wisdom in life but also sometimes detach from the strings attached to our immoderate belongingness and imprudent desires that hold us back to dare to achieve or try certain useful things and adventures in life. "Minimalism", the mantra enlightens us of being precise and perfect to select what absolutely we want from life and to have in it.
It saves time, energy, and money to be more productive towards betterment. In this life full of uncertainties, it's time to ‘give away', ‘enchant the mantra', and be satisfied. A satisfied soul is the happier and the happier is the richer, "rich" in a ‘minimalist approach'.
(The writer is a Bhubaneswar-based architect and sustainability consultant. ananyadaspmca@gmail.com; Ph: 7989072311)