Living in Germany is really nice. The high standard of living, available social and health insurance are a lot better than in most countries in Europe and the whole world. On average, salaries are pretty good and this means that people are able to spend a good portion of it for leisure and fun things. Think about the latest iPhone or a pair of new sneakers … stuff piles up at home, forgotten or unused for most of the time.
Living such a materialistic life isn’t always worth it and is usually associated with having a crazy obsession towards material wealth and physical comfort. It has nothing to do with your heart and its feelings, so being materialistic isn’t something good overall.
Here’s my story.
At some point in life, I was materialistic, sort of … and maybe I still am, to a certain degree.
I was obsessed with everything that was around me. I was not able to control myself and at that point the external world slowly crept inside me. It got to a point, where I couldn’t stand it anymore, because I allowed the outer world to take over and influence my feelings. I would wake up every morning check my iPhone to see if I had any new messages, in the afternoon, I would check for the latest news on US weekly. In the evenings I would put Apple TV in my schedule for a date. This was an affair that had been going on for so long. This sounds busy right?
Every morning, I would stop and look at the things I had to take care of for the day. The To-Do items that popped up determined how I would spend the rest of my day. I strive to be on top of everything from sports to news, and I would read the various blogs just to get ahead with gadgets and upcoming trends.
My nights were quite interesting. I was punctual when it came to making dinner then afterwards ran for my couch. The comedies and dramas on the screen helped me forget about my loneliness and my feelings of insecurity. Out rightly, I was not leading a better life, because I was always worried about everything. The jokes from the comedy starts made me forget about reality. I actually found it easy to live that life than my real own life.
Truth be told, my life was pathetic. I lived as if my whole life depended on others. I did not find myself worthy and at the sames time no longer valued the things I loved. Instead they were slowly drifting away from my heart. I hated that life and was so lost.
My life then changed, I no longer was on the look of gossips and fashions, because I went back to writing and started Salsa dance classes, put my entire time and effort in these activities which helped me improve my life. I no longer went out for dates (besides for dancing), just writing and meditating back home.
This made me feel, that I was back to being me.
After this transition, I realized I was wrong to depend on people, because I no longer cared about what people could think of me. And this means only one thing: I started to appreciate myself. No longer did I care, if someone could perceive me as worth or not, because I was my own protector. My life revolved around. Looking at my iPhone first was no longer a priority in the morning after waking up. I did not waste my time and money buying gossip publications. I did not want to know what was on the newspapers, and I stopped switching on the television to watch comedies … instead I chose to write.
My life had changed completely, because I now loved and appreciated myself, and stopped being a street person. So I went back home. No longer was I a slave to other people. I only wanted to be with me. I realized that I was suffering, but my health improved greatly, my body was restored into a better shape, and I was full spirited and could afford a smile.
My days and nights were no longer filled with tears.
By then I realized that I had let other peoples feeling control me. In the past I could never relax, because I was so rigid and was so insecure. I didn’t have any dreams as my life was pathetic, but once I let go of this miserable situation, I changed for the better. No longer did I want to be in the list of those who know. I do not fight to please other people and am no longer seeking for attention.
It was quite challenging for me but I had to face and tackle my insecurities. I then decided to write my own story.
So you know, my experience hasn’t been a good one. However, I am appealing to those who have walked in my shoes to make right decisions. I do not mean that you stop your daily routine. Simply find the best way that works for you. Weigh and see if you are doing the right things and can you control them. Start small by limiting the number of times you watch television or reduce the time you spend with your computer or iPhone.
Remember when you do less of a thing, you create room for something else at the same time.
Do not be afraid to create room for something else. What you are tying up yourself to, could be the one thing that prevents another door of opportunity from opening.
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