Maintaining your Quality of Life in Today's World

Turn on the news, and your hear nothing but bad news lately: unemployment at an all time high, housing market in the toilet, economy shrinking. You name it, they are talking about how it is going down hill, and fast. It seems like they are bailing out everyone but you. Something I think important to remember is this: quality of life and standard of living are not the same. The people selling stuff to us don't want us to remember that. In fact, they often use the terms interchangeably.

Standard of living is measured by consumption, making it measured by income. The degree to wich your basic needs (food, clothing and shelter ) are fufilled are what makes up your "standard of living." Quality of life is how you feel about your life and yourself. It is possible to have a very high standard of living and a low quality of life. You've always heard the term money doesn't by happiness, well that is certainly true. In these times, I believe it's important to remember that you can decrease your standard of living and increase your quality of life.

It seems simple, but its no wonder that Americans often confuse the two concepts. We are bombarded by marketing at every level, and a major goal of advertising is for consumers to equate the consumption of a their product with a higher quality of life. You've heard Dave Ramsey call it American Excess. We as Americans are sold on the idea of having everything we want, and that things make us happy. Just turn on the TV, and you can see it everywhere. A new cadillac will not get you happiness, respect, or even joy, but it will get you car payments and make some greedy bankers pockets fatter if you can't afford it. And who can blame the marketing folks, linking a particular product to those qualities is a homerun marketing strategy. The product itself then takes on a greater role in our lives than the actal function it was purchased to provide. And who can blame them for this seduction? It's fairly necessary in a competitive market... an the salesman have a standard of living to attain as well.

Now work on your soul, your family, your passion and work to increase your quality of life over your standard of living.

Inspiration

Inspiration can come from anywhere, I suppose. Today I am inspired to do something creative. I live inside my head a lot - meaning that I make loads of plans for the future that never come to fruition because I am too busy thinking about something else to take a minute and jot things down. And then there's having 2 toddlers, talk about distraction. I never finish anything without interruption, ever! (Which, incidentally can make you crazy over time, unless I've always been crazy and none of you ever bothered to tell me.) Well, today, we built a tent in the living room. It was really fun and the kids had a ball with it. They have no idea that their mother is seriously lacking in architectural capability. Our tent is constructed from a parachute, a small lightening mcqueen sofa, 2 sheets, the ottoman, and a collapsible play tunnel. Pretty good huh? Now they are playing with kiddie flashlights in there and loving it. I am having coffee, and yes with a teeny tiny tipple of Baileys. I'm just beginning to get warm, on this dreary day.