Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Does this room ensemble make me feel complete?

"IKEA:  The Life Improvement Store!"

Really?!?  So all my life has been missing is the perfect sofa?  Or bed?  Or, if I bought some new lamps, I would feel like a whole and balanced person?!?

Oh man.  I wish I knew this sooner.  Maybe if I had had the perfect bookcase, I wouldn't have had to work two jobs to get through college!  Imagine, with the right desk, I wouldn't have had to go through any teenage angst!  Having a stylish modern bed frame would have meant that Will would have never been unemployed for the past year, and his back would have fixed itself!

What are they really trying to sell us?  Do we really believe that having fashionable furniture, rugs, lighting, and fast food will improve our lives!?  Sadly, this seems to be what so many of us are striving for; instead of working on finding a balance and harmony in our lives, we are trying to finding a balance between egg shell and cream colored fixtures.

Not having money to spend on extras like furniture, clothing, or shoes, I think that I have started to learn to differentiate between true happiness and balance in my life and relationships, and trying to fill these voids with stuff.  Before reality set in, we took great joy in remodeling a bedroom, buying new furniture/curtains/fixtures/bedding for said room.  Now, I find greater joy in taking an early morning walk in the sunshine with my husband at my side.  I am more proud of the beautiful smile and sharp wit of my step-daughter than I ever was of our new cars/bed/sofa/tv.

We, as an American culture, are going to continue to suffer great sadness and anger as long as we continue to connect our happiness with our belongings.  I'm not a proponent of becoming forest-wandering, naked wood nymphs.  I am amazed at the technologies we have developed, and think that we should continue using our intelligence to fix our myriad of problems.  But we need to stop and ask ourselves, "Do I need this super-sized burger meal?  Will this $200 pair of boots make me happy?  What's really missing in my life?"

That is the question, isn't it?  What is really missing from my life?  Take away the cultural mores of acquiring more and more stuff.  What is it that all people need?  What do I believe is the purpose of my Life?

Tip:  Answer these questions truthfully.  Then figure out what type of person you want to be to accomplish getting what you need.  Then BE it.