It seems that more and more advertisements are using the phrase "you deserve it" while trying to sell a product. The very word deserve seems to have a meaning that has been lost to the people of our nation. From Websters Dictionary, the meaning of deserve is "to be worthy of". Let’s look very closely at this definition and how it relates to our society. Basically a company creates a commercial that tells us that we are worthy of owning or paying for their product. The product in question is usually some tangible thing such as a new pair of shoes or maybe even a luxury automobile. I think by examining this marketing technique an alarming trend in our society is revealed and is shown to exemplify the attitudes of my generation.
In my mind being professed as being worthy by someone other than myself should be reserved to things such a recognition of service, acknowledgement of a good deed and maybe even elected into a sporting hall of fame. A member of the military who receives the Medal of Honor has performed a self sacrificing deed in the face of danger with no regard to their own safety and they deserve to be acknowledged. Buying a new video game simply because I worked forty hours this week does not equate to being deserving. True rewards are achieved by doing things that make people worthy of the honor. Simply pulling out the credit card and performing retail therapy does not mean we deserve whatever we are buying.
My point to this is that all of us, me included have stopped trying to achieve great things that are rewarding on many different levels and have replaced it with simply buying a few minutes of happiness in the form of materialism. There is nothing wrong with wanting the finer things in life; in fact we should strive for the financial stability that allows this. However, this is just one area that our goals in life should benefit. People need to also do things that they can be proud of regardless of the reward. On a spiritual or emotional level we should strive for enlightenment instead of a quick high from buying the latest "thing". This "I deserve it" attitude is just a microcosm of the current state of a culture that once prided itself on being innovators, achievers and people who could overcome adversity.
By taking an honest look at myself, I admit I have fallen into this trap. I was content for years to work a decent job in order to make enough money to have the things people say I deserve. It is as if my eyes have been opened. I realized I have done nothing of note in my three decades of life. I have not even remotely changed the world for the better, I have no legacy that will be remembered and I only have a few things that I have accomplished that I am truly proud of. Instead of having a goal to accomplish these things I have been content to fit in my little niche, making middle class money and spending it on things to make myself happy. The good thing about this introspection is I still have time to change. Thirty is young and I can still make my mark and feel worthy of something more than the sum of my possessions. I am not trying to change the world by ranting about our materialism, I simply hope a few people take a look at themselves and decide they do not like what they see and try to change for the better by striving for goals they once had.
My challenge to my readers is this, take an honest look at yourselves and decide if you are where you want to be. If you are not, cast off the content "I deserve it" attitude that our current culture bombards us with and embrace the spirit of generations past. Set goals that are beyond what society says are possible and strive for them. Find out where you want to be in life and work towards it.
In my mind being professed as being worthy by someone other than myself should be reserved to things such a recognition of service, acknowledgement of a good deed and maybe even elected into a sporting hall of fame. A member of the military who receives the Medal of Honor has performed a self sacrificing deed in the face of danger with no regard to their own safety and they deserve to be acknowledged. Buying a new video game simply because I worked forty hours this week does not equate to being deserving. True rewards are achieved by doing things that make people worthy of the honor. Simply pulling out the credit card and performing retail therapy does not mean we deserve whatever we are buying.
My point to this is that all of us, me included have stopped trying to achieve great things that are rewarding on many different levels and have replaced it with simply buying a few minutes of happiness in the form of materialism. There is nothing wrong with wanting the finer things in life; in fact we should strive for the financial stability that allows this. However, this is just one area that our goals in life should benefit. People need to also do things that they can be proud of regardless of the reward. On a spiritual or emotional level we should strive for enlightenment instead of a quick high from buying the latest "thing". This "I deserve it" attitude is just a microcosm of the current state of a culture that once prided itself on being innovators, achievers and people who could overcome adversity.
By taking an honest look at myself, I admit I have fallen into this trap. I was content for years to work a decent job in order to make enough money to have the things people say I deserve. It is as if my eyes have been opened. I realized I have done nothing of note in my three decades of life. I have not even remotely changed the world for the better, I have no legacy that will be remembered and I only have a few things that I have accomplished that I am truly proud of. Instead of having a goal to accomplish these things I have been content to fit in my little niche, making middle class money and spending it on things to make myself happy. The good thing about this introspection is I still have time to change. Thirty is young and I can still make my mark and feel worthy of something more than the sum of my possessions. I am not trying to change the world by ranting about our materialism, I simply hope a few people take a look at themselves and decide they do not like what they see and try to change for the better by striving for goals they once had.
My challenge to my readers is this, take an honest look at yourselves and decide if you are where you want to be. If you are not, cast off the content "I deserve it" attitude that our current culture bombards us with and embrace the spirit of generations past. Set goals that are beyond what society says are possible and strive for them. Find out where you want to be in life and work towards it.