Why do you need it? Don't let your desires take over you

Date: 19th December 2021

Hello everyone! How are you doing today? I hope you are having a fantastic week and staying hydrated. Six days remain until we reach Christmas and Twelve till we enter 2022; The countdown is here again.

Do you know the difference between your wants and need? I am sure most of us can answer this question, but let me explain further.

Your wants are luxuries; they may or may not benefit your life, but they would surely satisfy your desires, and sometimes they can lead us to temptation, especially when you allow them to take control over you.

Your needs are things you need to live, and without them, you may not be able to have an everyday, peaceful life; your needs include money, clothing, housing, and food.

As you can see, needs are the necessities that allow us to live everyday life. Can you imagine living without food? If you try to do this, you will regret it because you will die.

You may wonder why I am talking about such a fundamental subject as "Needs and Wants," well, this brings me to a short story that I hope you enjoy.

George was a freshman in the university, and like any other person his age, he wanted to live as a free person. 

He tried to fit in with the students, and he found himself doing several things that he wouldn't have been doing before.

He received pocket money from his family every once in a while, but this wasn't some enormous amount of money; it was only for his basic needs.

Looking at his account, George felt terrible about himself because he saw others buying all they wanted and living an extravagant life.

He was the only guy that didn't have a car in his class, and he often got mocked for this.

Some time passed, and George was fed up with his mediocre lifestyle; he finally got the resolve to start stealing from others, and at night he would sneak into university labs and take valuable goods and sell them.

George wasn't a pro thief, and he had never done anything like this before, and he eventually got caught by the security and was taken to prison.

Now let me ask you a question, "What did George do wrong."

Well, I am guessing your answer is that he wasn't content with what his parents gave him, which led him to do such an act.

If that was your answer, you are correct because what led George to do something like that was because he allowed his wants/desires to take control of him, neglecting that his family provided his necessities for him.

Nowadays, I see a lot of George in society; these people always allow their wants/desires to take control of them and are willing to do anything to get what they want.

Some of these people can kill another human to get luxuries and satisfy themselves.

I asked a friend how he buys so much stuff when his job isn't even paying him so much, and his answer was basically, "I borrow." 

It is not like I am against borrowing, but the problem here is the purpose of his borrowing.

He borrows money to buy luxuries that won't reap any benefits or appreciate; he isn't buying assets but increasing his liabilities. 

Living above his wages, soon he would be swimming in debt and wonder where it all went wrong.

I hope he doesn't get to that point, but he is not the only one who does this; I see many people who have lost control over their desires, leading them to live a deceitful life.

From the outside, these people would look happy with all their fancy clothes, jewelry, and accessories, but deep down inside them, they feel sad and empty because they live fake lives.

If you ever find yourself in a situation where your desires are taking control over you, you should ask yourself, "Why do I need it," "Would this stuff benefit my life."

If you can't answer these questions or find a negative answer, I see no point in buying it because if something doesn't benefit you, why are you buying it?

Learn to control your desires/wants because when you do this, you will achieve pure happiness that doesn't come from materials but from within.

Thank you for reading!