Success is not in what you have, but who you are!

Success is not in what you have, but who you are!, Bo Bennett.

Do not be fooled, happiness is not about buying a bigger property, driving a faster car, wearing fashionable clothes, having the latest gadgets or sculpting a perfect body through plastic surgery. It is not in buying and having more money and stuff.

This is a consumerist race to nowhere, a hurricane of stupidity in the name of a convenience that is not convenient anymore (Isaac Hepworth).
This consumerist race leads to:

1. Working long hours in high-stress jobs, often in multiple jobs to earn more money, to continue and support our selfish and wasteful lifestyle.

   

2. Therefore, we have less time for ourselves and our interpersonal relationships because we are spending most of our time to working, commuting, and shopping.

3. This frenetic lifestyle has been correlated to stress, anxiety, and depression, poor eating habits, passive lifestyle, etc., and worst of all, it makes you feel unhappy, empty, and unsatisfied because you are losing your main asset, your health, wasting your life at work to buy stuff that is worthless, and the quality of your relationships deteriorates.

   

   Consider that buying a big house does not only mean a large mortgage. Living in a big house will likely require more time, effort, and money on cleaning, commuting, and maintenance. Live close to work!

   It is better to buy a small house closer to your job than a bigger house with a long way to commute to work. This is the question you should ask yourself and act accordingly: does it really give you a better quality of life?

   The same applies to buying a new, shiny sports car. Weigh out the pros and cons. If you think purchasing this car is expensive, its fuel consumption, maintenance and cost of repairs, insurance, parking, and taxes are even more so -Not to mention that a new and expensive car draws more attention from thieves and vandals.

4. Do not exceed your limits, live according to your means. We should all adopt a minimalist lifestyle to a certain degree. In other words, we should reduce our consumption, and become critical and responsible consumers.

   

   Consider some of these ideas: 1. Move to a smaller house, closer to your work and community. Avoid getting into debt like the plague. 2. Get rid of your second car, replace your big car with a small or more fuel-efficient one, use public transport, ride your bike or walk to work, etc. 3. Quit drinking alcohol, gambling, and smoking. 4. Avoid eating out, having coffee outside every day, and drinking bottled water, get a water filter and eat at home instead. 5. Do not buy the latest electronic gadget, keep them as long as possible, and avoid monthly service fees and subscriptions.

5. Consumerism is a futile race that we, as individuals and we, as a society ― in a world with limited resources ― will never win. It is a waste of the Earth’s limited resources and energy. Consumerism is linked to pollution and climate change. Our planet can not sustain this chimera of never-ending growth!