Wants versus needs. You've all heard the phrase, but I think they are not deeply thought about of enough. Specifically, I'm talking about wants versus needs for our material possessions and for our relationships.
So, lets talk about our material possessions first, because more often than not as demonstrated through debt, our wants far exceed our actual needs. If we were to go back in time, pre-industrial revolution, people only bought things they needed. In other words, if something broke, if something wore out, or if something was needed because it was vital for existence, then, and only then would it be bought. Nowadays, people go out and buy things they can't afford so they can keep up with the Jones', to feel good or to satisfy a certain craving, and not only that, the ability to spend with credit is becoming available to people at younger and younger ages. This has lead to a debt ridden society where, in Canada, we owe collectively almost 1 trillion dollars! We have become addicted to low interest rates and easy financing which, sadly, has allowed us the illusion of being able to take on more debt.
So how does debt and our spending habits affect our relationships with our employers? Well, as we just saw during the past few years, when the economy was booming, people were leaving jobs to work for someone else if it paid them a dollar more an hour. Many were working for their employer, not because they wanted to be there, but because they needed to be there. They needed to be there to make more money, so they could buy more stuff and take on more debt.
And now, where has this gotten us? People are now edgy about their work for fear of being laid off and because now it's not so easy to get another job. Not only that, everyone just splurged like there was no tomorrow and they better hold on to that job or else they'll lose their car, their clothes and their house!
What we should be doing, now more than ever, is to reverse the paradigm! For our material things, we should put our needs greater than our wants. And for our relationships, we should be placing our wants greater than our needs. How do we do this? We first buy things we only need, not want. We pay off our debts and then, when we are not shackled with debt, we then examine our career. We then ask, do I need to be here, or do I want to be here? Can you guess what then happens? Once we do that, we can can find true wealth and true happiness - not an illusion built on credit and material stuff.
I'll give you an example: Spike Lee, when he was a struggling director gave up his need for money by not buying anything he didn't need. He lived on kraft dinner in a dingy apartment because he knew what he really wanted - to be a director. By letting go the need of money, he freed himself to work and master his craft. He continued to work hard, get noticed and then, he got his break and he's now being paid for something he loves to do.
The old model of working for a buck is a big lie. It's a lie invented by big business so they can keep you going to the malls, racking up your debt buying stuff, while big businesses hold you hostage - even if you think you had the upper hand when everyone moved from job to job. That, in fact, made things worse! Debt is now at an all time high, and for the first time in the history of recessions for Canada, actually rose!
Let's all wake up and really examine our wants versus our needs. Then, and only then, can true change happen.
I wish you all the success in the world, now go out and BE the difference!
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