Consume Less, Produce More

Following the dictum that money doesn’t buy true happiness, just pleasure, you can work towards cutting your expenses. Meditative practice and mindfulness will allow you to live a life of relative simplicity with more daily happiness and contentment than you would experience from chasing fleeting pleasures. The best part? All of this comes at a far lower cost.

Imagine a Zen infomercial that told you not to call any number or send any credit card information, but simply directed you to look within yourself and silently reflect for a few minutes each day. This reflection usually leads to a deeper satisfaction than a candy bar, a makeover, or a ride in a sports car. We only enjoy those things out of our innate capability for bliss anyway. I still love the occasional candy bar, though.

But back to my point: this non-attachment capability can be accessed at any time, regardless of what you consume. Learn to separate yourself from your consumption. Do not become what you decide to buy. All of the satisfaction you need is already within yourself. This is an obviously unpopular idea since it isn’t going to make anyone much money. Let money cover the basics and let your growing sense of true self and awakening consciousness do the rest.