Less Greed, Less Need

I recently heard a comment on the radio by an economist that I found quite shocking. For the first time, someone was actually being honest about why our country is in a serious economic recession. According to him (and me!), the problem rests mainly with Americans living beyond their means.

We must be willing to admit all of the causes of a financial recession before we can really expect things to improve. That might mean that a lot of us will have to give up some things and start changing our expensive lifestyles. Although many of us do have a lasso around our wallets and are watching more closely where our money goes, I fear we are still not willing to admit that we are actually most of our problem.

Though I’m not certain, I’m afraid people are becoming bitter and perhaps, more greedy than ever before during this current economic recession. I’m afraid that everyone is waiting to go back to the way things were and are waiting for Barack Obama to simply make it so as if by magic.

Food is expensive. Gas prices are erratic. And things in your local store just aren’t selling. These are realities that we as consumers cannot change, but we can start making changes now. By the time things get better economically, we may discover that we’re doing better than we were before the recession.

I believe that when we make a conscientious choice to live within our means, the less we will want and the less we will think we need. We will be the kind of people who are content with less, and when given the opportunity to be generous, we may just act with confidence, sensitivity, and appreciation.