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Thursday, December 08, 2005
Are you satisfied...
with what you have? Or do you always want more? I'm talking material things. Phil has made me start to think about this subject lately. Some of you know, ;) that I have had a terrible time trying to figure out what to get him for Christmas this year. Whenever, I ask him, he says, he doesn't want and/or need anything. Oh wait, he requested a new back scrubber... ::rolling eyes:: lol
Both of our parents are equally frustrated by his lack of wants. However, as I was explaining it to my mom today it hit me. We have too much stuff! Now I've always known we have a lot of crap around here but honestly, we have too much. The kids have too much, Phil and I have too much. Too many clothes, too many toys, books, games, movies, electronics, etc. etc.
I'm sure it's not just our household... I'm sure many of you can relate. (and I'm not talking about people like Misti who purges everything all the time. <>) We have kids who have so many toys and games, they can't possibly play with them all. We have more movies than we can possibly watch, more clothes or shoes than we can wear, more jewelry than we have needs for, etc. etc. What do we REALLY need to be happy? Does buying another new pair of shoes *really* make us happy?
It's our society. Always making us want more. Making us think we NEED more. We won't be happy unless we have the newest computer, tv, cell phone, the hottest fashions, the coolest toys, the latest releases... on and on it goes. Phil and I were in Target a while back and we saw a sign near the cell phones that said something along the lines of, " You have two ears, you need two phones." It's really kind of pathetic when you think about it.
In any case, for a while now Phil and I have scaled way back on the amount of stuff we buy. Not that we don't still buy a lot, but we buy a lot less than we used to. We don't go crazy on birthdays anymore, I don't leave Walmart/Target with $100 worth of junk I simply don't need, etc. We try much harder to think about our purchases before we just buy something.
Phil has however, gotten to another level. He really just does not want anything. He doesn't need anything. He is happy with what he has. And he can't see just giving people a list of stuff to buy him just so they have something to buy. However frustrating that may be for the rest of us. ; )
As he says, (and it's true) there are SO many people in the world who have NOTHING...
So, where do you fall? I think I am somewhere in the middle. While I try real hard to think through my purchases, I can still think of lots of stuff I want, although don't need. While it's sometimes hard for me to come up with a list of ideas for people, I can do it. ; ) I still overbuy for the kiddos, although I am getting better. I don't equate having more stuff to happiness but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy a new shirt or an expensive coffee on occasion. ; )
I think I have more thinking to do... : ) Opinions?
Both of our parents are equally frustrated by his lack of wants. However, as I was explaining it to my mom today it hit me. We have too much stuff! Now I've always known we have a lot of crap around here but honestly, we have too much. The kids have too much, Phil and I have too much. Too many clothes, too many toys, books, games, movies, electronics, etc. etc.
I'm sure it's not just our household... I'm sure many of you can relate. (and I'm not talking about people like Misti who purges everything all the time. <>) We have kids who have so many toys and games, they can't possibly play with them all. We have more movies than we can possibly watch, more clothes or shoes than we can wear, more jewelry than we have needs for, etc. etc. What do we REALLY need to be happy? Does buying another new pair of shoes *really* make us happy?
It's our society. Always making us want more. Making us think we NEED more. We won't be happy unless we have the newest computer, tv, cell phone, the hottest fashions, the coolest toys, the latest releases... on and on it goes. Phil and I were in Target a while back and we saw a sign near the cell phones that said something along the lines of, " You have two ears, you need two phones." It's really kind of pathetic when you think about it.
In any case, for a while now Phil and I have scaled way back on the amount of stuff we buy. Not that we don't still buy a lot, but we buy a lot less than we used to. We don't go crazy on birthdays anymore, I don't leave Walmart/Target with $100 worth of junk I simply don't need, etc. We try much harder to think about our purchases before we just buy something.
Phil has however, gotten to another level. He really just does not want anything. He doesn't need anything. He is happy with what he has. And he can't see just giving people a list of stuff to buy him just so they have something to buy. However frustrating that may be for the rest of us. ; )
As he says, (and it's true) there are SO many people in the world who have NOTHING...
So, where do you fall? I think I am somewhere in the middle. While I try real hard to think through my purchases, I can still think of lots of stuff I want, although don't need. While it's sometimes hard for me to come up with a list of ideas for people, I can do it. ; ) I still overbuy for the kiddos, although I am getting better. I don't equate having more stuff to happiness but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy a new shirt or an expensive coffee on occasion. ; )
I think I have more thinking to do... : ) Opinions?
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I went for yrs not having what i have now and those that say money can't buy hapiness haven't been poor ;-)