One of the things I learned from my parents... I'd go as far as to say that it was almost beaten into me... was that thing psychologists like to call "delayed gratification."
In some ways, it's the exact counterpoint to what many in our day and age describe as entitlement.
As I have moved through my adult life, that particular "value" has generally manifested as a long pattern of "doing without." I am the master of making do with what I already have... even if what I have is getting to be severely out-of-date and in need of replacement.
One might be given to ponder why someone would so readily "deny themselves;" in my particular case it is related to not wanting to have to deal with the consequences of overextending myself.
Of course, many people simply don't care what the consequences of their choices are... they just want, and to hell with the consequences. Small wonder there are so many bankruptcies in the world!
Which, in turn, goes hand in hand with a lacking awareness of how your actions affect other people. Because they do affect other people. Of course, some people sincerely don't care, because they are only in "the game of life" for themselves.
Don't get me wrong here... I'm not for a moment claiming that there's something "noble" about doing without things... I'm simply following an approach to life that allows me to sleep peacefully at night. Which also happens to be an approach that takes into consideration how my choices impact other people.
Most of the time, however, my "doing without" is a matter of simply knowing what I can genuinely afford, and what I cannot. I just have never fully subscribed to the modern consumer society in which we buy whatever we want, whenever we want, and worry about paying for it later.
Yes, I do have credit cards... but I don't really use them, except for travel and things like paying for hotel rooms and rental cars. Which are expenses I very rarely incur, because I also recognize that I really can't afford to travel.
"Staying within your means" sometimes feels like almost the exact opposite of how our modern world expects us to behave!
Strange... and sad.
I have been away from blogging here for a whole week... it wasn't my intention to be sure, but the combination of having to pay a tax bill and warm weather that finally made it possible for us to work in the garden pushed the importance of blogging into the background.
Now that we have reached the month of May — long a favorite month of mine — I am feeling enthusiastic that I will be able to return to more active blogging "duty!"
Thanks for visiting, and have a great week ahead!
How about you? Are you an impulsive person? Do you get things when you see them, and want them? Or do you "do without" till the time is right? Do leave a comment if you feel so inclined — share your experiences — be part of the conversation!
(All text and images by the author, unless otherwise credited. This is ORIGINAL CONTENT, created expressly for this platform — Not posted elsewhere!)
Created at 2023.05.01 00:26 PST
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