change your life style

Sooner or later, all of us in the West will have to change our life-style. Unfortunately, it seems highly likely that when we finally get around to it, it will be too late. Too late to stop a rather dramatic drop in our standard of living. A disaster of rather epic proportions.

The reason for the delay is that people only change when they have no other alternatives left. However, with so many of us on the planet, late change is a dangerous adaptation and will not reach its intended goal. It becomes akin to turning around an aircraft carrier. If you want to turn around, better start before you have to.

It is easy to see what is wrong with our current life-style. It is easy to do something about it as long as one is determined and persistent. In the long run, I can assure you, you will save lots of money, feel a lot better about yourself and be a lot healthier too. Therein lies the main reason for change. Not to save the planet or other lofty goals, but to be happier and live a better life. To save yourself a lot of unnecessary trouble. Not convinced ? Take a look at what we are doing today.

The trouble is that we have become hyper consumers. We have optimized consumption to such a high degree that we do it continuously, effortlessly and painlessly. We think we need to consume to be happy. In many cases, we have gone so far as to convince ourselves that we could not possibly live any other way. And to keep up with all that runaway consumption, most of us have to work like maniacs. Even those of us who can afford not to work, drive themselves nuts in a never ending rat race. However, the high rate at which we are depleting our resources and the high prevalence of life-style-induced diseases and mental health problems shows that we are deluding ourselves.

The first step to take is to isolate oneself from the constant barrage of advertising. That is easier said than done. It is however, a necessary step, because all of us, no matter how confident we feel or how strong our sense of self is, are very susceptible to advertising. Advertising is a billion dollar industry and there is a very good reason for it: it works. It works even if you think you are immune to it. Really, if you feel immune, chances are you are a helpless victim. Try to stop, if you can.

Advertising constantly tell us how much more successful we will be, and how people will look up to us, and how much happier we will be if we buy this or that item or spend money or this or that vacation, or treatment, or massage. It reminds us of how much money we will save if we just buy something now. How big bargains are slipping away before our very eyes, and how we should rush to the store and load up on everything and anything that is offered for sale. It tells us our perfectly good items are outdated, out of fashion, useless, and ready for the garbage dump. Time to upgrade.

Advertising and fashions remind us to look our best, to show off, to let others know that we are at the vanguard, that we are cool, that we are important. And invariably we need to throw away perfectly good stuff and change into a slightly different shade of green, or blue, to do so. We need a GPS to find our way home, a DVD player to entertain the kids, a cup holder for our starbucks. Ever thought how nice it would be if you didn't need to go anywhere? But even at home we are outdated. That dark green patio furniture is so passe, so old-fashioned, so yesterday. Today's successful individuals buy light green. Light green shows that you are young, sexy and with the times. It communicates success.

At first it may seem hard to swim against the tide. It may appear impossible. But if you just manage to wean yourself from the ads, you will see that it is quite easy really. And you will see an astonishing truth. It is you who are original, interesting, and self-confident. It is you who are different.

No doubt you will say, so what? I may be different but the others can't see it. They think I am outdated. Patience my friends. Of course your friends and neighbors react this way. They are conditioned to do so. They have to revolt against anyone who does not want to go with the flow. That too is what advertising does to you. Or addiction for that matter. What happens when one addict decides to come clean? His or her friends revolt. But over time -very little time- they will see the light. That is where determination and persistence comes in. Without it you won't succeed.

Whereas the others slavishly follow the herd and trample all over one another be better, to be different and to be cool, you are the one above it all. The independent thinker, the one with self-confidence. Ironically enough that is exactly what the advertisers promised you if you followed their lead.

The root of all our problems, global warming, pollution, obesity, drug-addictions, oil-addictions, wastefulness, lies in our desire to stand out from the crowd. Our deep-seated wish to be special, to be desirable, to be above the crowd. Isn't it funny that we constantly attempt to do so by eagerly following that very same crowd? We rush into supermarkets, department stores, luxury stores, to find those magic items that will bring us success. That special watch, that awesome SUV, that stylish dress, that cookie-cutter item that we are led to believe is so unique, so special, so you.

We travel to exotic destinations to seek an ephemeral holy grail. We endure overcrowded airline flights, being treated like criminals and searched, forced into long delays, eating endless bags of peanuts, subjected to abusive industry practices. We gladly endure it all to feel better about ourselves. Self-flagellation is alive and well my friends. Maybe it is time to wake up and smell the real coffee.