A RUSH TO NOWHERE
How the American Dream robs some of us from finding true happiness.
What is it to be happy? A question which can vary greatly depending on the person or country for which they live. When i've asked this question to a variety of people while traveling in other countries, it is rare that I found someone to say that being rich would make them happy. But rather responses consisted of more holistic thoughts. For some it was being around family or friends, finding love, traveling or having more time.
When the same question is asked to those in America the answer is more personal, more individual and usually more materialistic. Happiness in America is based on a standard of "achieving the american dream." To be happy is to have it all. And I mean all. First it's the 40+ hour "real job", then the new car, next the big house, and large family. It has been ingrained in our society that to be happy or successful is to have more. More cars, more gadgets, more clothes, and more crap to fill our lives with "Happiness". The funny thing, more often than not, those that have the most are never really happy. Struggling to find happiness or instant gratification we searching for ways to fill voids, distract us, and cutter our lives. We rush around, glorifying how busy we are, hoping to one day be happy. But once we arrive at our dream life there is still this feeling for many of dissatisfaction and emptiness. Never really getting to the core of our happiness and instead are still left feeling empty with false fulfillment. There is a reason why we say the "american dream". Because it is only a dream, created by the most consumptuous country in the world, America.
Unfortunately, Western society has deliberately been constructed so that we will continuously consume more. During World War II, Industrialization took off as we came out of the Great Depression. But before then, American societies were restricted and deprived of certain materials and luxuries because of strict rationings due to War. Families survived by rationing and modest living. Once the War was over, industrial factories started to employ more soldiers who came home looking for work. Our government wanted to relieve it’s people of these hard times and instead promote less frugality and more consuming. The American industry began focusing people to buy more in order to become happy again. That this way of life would be more gratifying and almost of a spiritual satisfaction. More importantly that in order to get the economy going again more consumption needed to happen. Whole industries were created specifically to draw our attention that we needed this and should buy that. Which meant, more drilling, more extracting, and more waste.
Our consumption and disposable habits lead to increasing pollution, resource scarcity, biotic depletion, and many other forms of environmental degradation globally. While we are all sitting in our giant homes, eating TV dinners, only a small amount of humanity really enjoys the benefits of material luxuries. Completely disconnected to the negative impacts of our economic growth in obtaining the “American dream”. All of which drastically contribute to the loss of well-being, health and even life for those in developing or impoverished countries.
Today Americans don’t have to know or think about the consequences of our over spending. This type of information is hidden from us because if we really knew that our beloved shoes were made by children half way across the world, who work long hours and are mistreated maybe then we would think twice. Or not. Or that the food we eat has been produced and packaged in another country so that American industries can get away with paying lower wages for workers, the use of toxic chemicals and lax environmental regulations. We are constantly displacing others who have it way more difficult to begin with, just for our own benefit.
But are we ever really satisfied?? The answer is no. We have become so accustomed to receiving everything we desire right from our fingertips (even more so now with the digital world and online shopping) that we have become desensitized to all of these issues and what really lights our soul on fire. One thing our culture has lost sight of is the true happiness that simplicity and slow living can really do for us. I have to say if you ask your grandparents who lived during the rations of the great depression if they were happy, i am sure their answer was yes. When you live with less you are forced to find happiness in the little things, in human interactions, and the natural world around you. I can speak for myself and say this is true. When I was only 18 living out on my own across the country from friends and family It was a struggle just to make ends meet. I didn’t have extra money just to blow . I had to budget, meal plan, and find other activities to fill my time. Through this process I had to get creative and live more simply. I started to enjoy cooking more, crafting at home, or going for bike rides taking in the natural beauty around me. These times helped build my roots in living with less and still remaining to be happy. I found more joy in doing these things that were nourishing to me rather than impulsive “quick fix” happiness. You too can feel more fulfilled in your life by slowing down, taking a step back and finding more happiness from within. Maybe you're not sure where to start or the thought of giving up some of your vices or habits seems daunting and difficult. So below I provided a list of my Top 3 ways to start living with less.