It’s true that money is tighter, the world is a little more worried and we all feel a little more pressure from the world around us. We all have basic needs and many of us are lucky enough to have food shelter and clothing and there are, of course many that don’t.
For who have our basic needs met there is always the tendency to want more, to feel like we have to go without and that our lives are not somehow complete if we don’t get that extra holiday, the new car or the extension built. In times like these it’s a good opportunity to ask some hard questions.
Many of us feel trapped in jobs we cant stand with mortgages or debts we have to service and ultimately we can feel stressed, anxious or fearful of the future. The antidote is rarely immediate and certainly never easy, but by asking ourselves what we really need in life we might start to move towards a life that is less weighed down by the choices of when were younger. To feel lighter its important to offload thinking that keeps us stuck, such as needing to upgrade or take that extra holiday. Ask yourself, do I need to buy that new car, can I still enjoy a well cared for used car? do I need to buy more clothes when what I have looks fine and still fits?
This is not about abstinence, it’s more about making conscious choices based on need rather than impulse. Inertia can lead you to a life that you don’t want so how about thinking and asking yourself where you want to go before making any choices? Your life is never going to be easy all the time but you can invest in an easier existence by buying less now to have more freedom in the future.
