A few years ago, I watched a documentary with my dad called Affluenza. It’s about our buying and hoarding of “things” as a fleeting method of garnering happiness.
Last night, Inside Job – a documentary on who was really behind the financial meltdown – won an Oscar. Charles Ferguson, the director, mentioned that not one financial executive had been sent to jail for their part in the financial meltdown.
These things got me thinking… our society – at least secretly – loathes abundance. We express schadenfreude towards those who have too much of something. Too much talent, too much wealth, too much fame. We’re jealous of those who garner too much success.
We get sick to our stomachs when we eat too much or when we see too much affection in public. We run out of time when we have too many projects. We lose sight of those most important customers when we try to sell to too many. In fact, fame, wealth, talent, success – all of these things, mismanaged or misinterpreted – become burdens in their own right.
What are the last three insults you heard? I bet at least one ended with -bag. Something was so awful, it required an entire container to hold the suck in.
Let’s stop it. We don’t need one more thing. We don’t need more options, time, fame, wealth, talent, or success. We need to find a good balance and be happy with what we have and better at maximizing the return from it.
(Header Photo: Trash Bag by Steve and Sara)
