One lazy afternoon, I found myself looking around my room at all my things – designer clothes, shoes, and purses- and I still felt like it wasn’t enough. Later that afternoon, I heard my 7 year old nephew whine about being bored because he didn’t have a Nintendo 3Ds, while he was playing on his iPad, next to his closet filled with toys. The next day, I heard students in the hallways saying “I want this” and “I need that,” and I quickly realized that people are very materialistic. I mean, who could blame us? It’s natural to crave iPhones, designer bags, and expensive shoes in a world where there are commercials that constantly push us to buy the newest and best things. Not being able to escape this consumer world, we find it hard to not fall into the trap of materialism.

So, what is materialism? The Google definition of it is,”a tendency to consider material possessions and physical comfort as more important than spiritual values.” Even though this sounds like a deadly trap, most people are allured by the “success” that comes from it. After WWⅡ, Americans became very materialistic. Many new inventions, like the dishwasher, claimed to make life easier. Americans were quickly astonished by these inventions and soon felt they needed more. Ever since then, we have continued this lifestyle. We are used to seeing young children playing games on their iPads rather than using their imagination and seeing teenagers chasing the latest fashion trends. We are so accustomed to seeing this that we no longer see it as a problem.

I realize I am a very materialistic person. I didn’t think it was a problem because every other person I see is on this same materialistic treadmill as me. It seemed normal to me and I didn’t think it was too big of an issue. I finally realized that this was a problem when I started to look at my life a bit closer. I saw how I wanted more makeup even though I have two full shelves of it. I wanted a new iPhone even though my phone works perfectly fine. I just wanted more. I also realized I was becoming jealous of those who had what I wanted. When I found out my best friend bought the new iPhone, I was a bit jealous because her phone was “better” than mine. I was being filled with envy for things that I didn’t even need.

Negative feelings, such as jealousy, makes it clear that the “need” for things is no good. Materialism is a slow death. It creates an empty feeling in us. Humanity will always want more so it makes no sense to depend our happiness on materialistic objects. Sereno Sky, the author of Lonely Traveller says, “Materialism has no energy, it’s empty and has no life, it all ends eventually on some garbage dump. Nature is full of renewable physical and spiritual energy. Hard to understand why mankind would worship materialism.” Not only does Sereno Sky feel this way but so did Albert Einstein, who said, “If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things.”

Even if we have many possessions, there will still be something missing. Not all the iPhones, clothes, and shoes will satisfy us. Personally, I hate feeling the desire for more things. I save my lunch money to buy more makeup and clothes, then once I buy what I want I repeat this endless cycle. The desire for more things is because we are not happy with ourselves and we try to fill the void within us. Having an abundance of possessions has no value if there is no happiness in us. As humans we need much more to make us truly happy. We need love, nature, and peace to truly be happy.

So, how do we escape this trap? You do not have to move far away into the woods in order to escape this materialistic treadmill. You do not have to throw away all your possessions and not shop at malls anymore. Knowing the difference between wanting and needing will drastically make a change. Breaking the hedonistic belief of the temporary pleasure that is felt when buying things will isolate you from the materialistic world. Simply not having an emotional connection to your possessions will free you from this trap. For example, if you shatter the screen on your phone don’t let that ruin your day and don’t go running to the store to buy a new one. Breaking that emotional connection to your things will free you from letting your possessions control your life.

Find out what truly makes you happy. Try and make new experiences, there’s so much more to life than being in a crowded mall. Realize that your possessions don’t define you. You will not be remembered by how much or how little money you had. People will only remember about the good things you did. Bob Marley said, “The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively.”

I am currently trying to break free from this problem. Instead of going to the mall during my free time, I go hiking. Meditating has really helped me be happy with the things I already have and not want more. For me, being out in nature quickly made me realize that there are far more important things than my wants. So, if you think that having many things makes you happy then go ahead and live life how you want to. But, if you want to break free from this trap then I encourage you to join me on this journey and start looking for your bliss within rather than at a store.