Heart attacks, depression, strokes, broken families, road rage; the list goes on. Is this the “Good Life” which the media is making everyone believe they must pursue?
More movies are focused on the importance of family, and more people are realizing that the glamour and extravagant lifestyles portrayed in films and advertising are nothing but empty desires planted within the minds of consumers which lead to overspending on things they do not need. I believe that the world is starting to gain some sense of insight in this regard, causing people to think twice on that which they open their wallets for.
Honestly, does driving a BMW X6M make one individual any better than another, or does it serve a purpose greater than commuting? The only extras you can really find on such an expensive vehicle, is luxury. Is that luxury worth hours of stress and losing out on precious time with your family?
To put a twist on things, people are entitled to opinions. You will find that most people judge such individuals and they do not even have ground on which to do so, but, that is human nature. More so, one individual pays R600, 000 for a classy Mercedes Benz he/she can barely afford, and then another stops beside him/her with the latest Ferrari; in a split second he/she is right back to the bottom of the food chain. In my opinion, if you buy a car to make a statement, you are doing it for the wrong reason. Buying a car should be to fulfill a physical need for example, if you are on the road most of your day, it would probably make sense to purchase a VW Gold TDI or BMW 320D which saves immense amounts of fuel. Or maybe you have a big family, and then an BMW X5 or Nissan X-Trail will make sense, depending on your budget of course.
We all need entrepreneurs, and people who can take the lead to create jobs and help build the economy. Those individuals choose the lifestyle as well as the responsibilities which go with it. Most wealthy people sacrifice a lot to get to where they are, but the general public just sees the Merc and the holiday home, becomes jealous and thinks that a decent raise will also get them one. Entrepreneurs also have the personalities, skills and perseverance to accomplish such things combined with the choice to go that way. Beyond popular belief, it is NOT easy to run a successful business.
The problem is that every guy earning a paycheck wants this kind of lifestyle. This leads to immense amounts of stress and unpaid debt, leading to black listings, economic problems and recessions. There is just so much media overwhelming consumers telling them what they want and need, but if you sit and think about it logically, they are probably lying in order to make sales targets set out by the shareholders and directors of the company. I sometimes look at television and cannot believe that every advertisement expects a piece of the pie from every consumer’s paycheck. It makes no sense...
In summary, this article is just there to remind people that they are in control of their own lives and that media should not become such a convincing driving force in their decision-making patterns, causing them to make choices to try keep up with lifestyles they do not need or which they can not afford. Work hard, do your best, reward yourself, but stay within your means. Money is not worth your health or the precious limited time you have available with your loved ones
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