Craving v.s. Desire
Desire= Healthy versus Craving= Unhealthy
(Needs are what you have to get in order to survive, cravings go in all kinds of directions)
Do you find yourself buying things you don’t really need? We have all been guilty of this. Here are a few questions to ask yourself, so you can steer toward becoming a conscious consumer. If you’re working on integrating the Yamas into your life, this is also a great way to practice aparigraha (non-accumulation).
Where will this thing go in my life?
How big of a role should this thing play in my life/community? (for example maintenance, cost, energy, and time)
How central is this thing in creating a flourishing life?
How does this thing support friendship, care for the earth, modesty, and helpfulness?
The things we spend our money on should help us flourish, and help people around us flourish, and the things we buy should last us a long time.
We can’t really address money issues without examining these questions closely and relating them to our unconscious and hopefully now our conscious spending habits.
In the wise words of my good friend Ryan, “less stuff more time”.
