The interesting paradox is that we appear not to be free without possessions and yet once we have have them we are again not free. A place to live, food to eat, and something to do that takes care of those needs are necessities when there is only ourselves and multiply as soon as we have others joining our circle such as family or friends.
This is not a bad thing unless we allow it to take over and we become focused on obtaining possessions for their own sake; then it becomes a rat race that takes us further from ourselves. This trade off is something we all have to face and decide for ourselves rather than just going with the flow and ending up in a place we don't want and don't know how we got there.
Awareness and attention is always necessary to make proper and appropriate choices for ourselves.
Your thoughts?
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Possessions
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4 conversations:
Society here is all about possessions. Hubby and I don't care so much for this as we came from the old school. Pay for what you buy. In California folks are losing their homes because they refinanced their homes too many times to buy toys. Then often the loans were risky. I know I'm getting off point, but it just seems so important for most to have all the toys. It's sad. Have a great day Peter. :)
'Possessions' is a vague term. A possession might be a cookbook or other craftsman's tool, or it might be a transportation tool like a car, bike, or a horse.
A place to live might mean a healthy shelter, or a showplace to impress the boss, relatives, or the neighbors.
Food might be a healthy diet, or the remnants of ancestral cuisine, or junk food. We might drink water, or clean water, or flavored water, alcoholic beverage, or some other liquid.
I think there are several aspects to possessions - why we acquire them, how we use them, and why we keep them.
Probably the most telling aspect is why we obtain possessions. If the reason is because of advertising, propaganda - persuasive communications - then we are letting others control our lives and our actions. That is the real danger of possessions, and why there is never an end to acquiring possessions once we start down the road of letting others persuade us we 'need' something newer, better, etc.
Do we keep possessions because others expect it (control by others)? Or is the possession a tool, a comfort, something that makes our day brighter, or our work or our lives easier or possible. We want to keep the blanket, and the screwdriver if we use screwdrivers.
Probably the best reason to acquire a particular possession, is to replace a worn out tool. If we are careful about every other acquisition, we should live well and prosper.
very true Sandee and the results can be hard on them.
Excellent addition to the conversation Brad. Thank you
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