All of us has both their needful things, as well as their desires or wants. It is important for each one of us, to not get confused about where our priorities should lie when it comes to our needs and wants. In truth, the needs that we should so desire are when correctly categorized, really come down from a material perspective of having a decent job, a safe neighborhood, sound health, practical education, and acceptable food and shelter. In other words, what people really need comes down to the basics of successfully obtaining what would consider to be the marks of a satisfactory civilized life within a western nation. On the other hand, when it comes to our wants, these could be, and actually are, for some people, almost limitless. The thing about our desires, is that while it certainly is fine to desire this or to desire that, within some realm of reasonableness, it is a mistake, though, to somehow make our wants the be-all and end-all of our existence and purpose.
Those that believe that their happiness can only come about when they obtain this or obtain that, surely must recognize, that even when the most desirable of material possessions is in their hands, that the lasting satisfaction that they get from it, is ultimately, not completely satisfactory. In other words, those material possessions that we get, seem to be never enough to satiate us, whatsoever. There is, for many a person, frequently yet another object that must be obtained or possessed, and then another, and another, and this continues ad nauseam. Indeed, through it all, those that are seeing their desires and wants being met, even in the best of cases, are never completely happy or satisfied. As for those, that are unable to obtain their desires and wants, at least on the level that they so dearly desire, they then are often left feeling bereft and despondent, for their lack of material success.
It is regretful that in western nations, never have so many, been so dissatisfied with their lives, despite the fact, that never have so many, have in their possession, wonderful accouterments that simply didn’t exist for even kings or queens, back in the day. Far too many of us, get caught up in the “rat race,” or in “keeping up with the Joneses,” which does little or nothing of worth to our character, or to our good purpose in life. To somehow believe that eternal happiness comes from material possessions which we never can take with us, upon our departure from this world, is indicative of people that have their priorities, upside down. Rather, what we take from this world, and thereupon pass onto our closest friends and family members, is the exemplar that we have been to others, so demonstrated through our charitable and caring actions, which helps to make this world a better place for our participation in it. Though, each of us, is indeed born free and has unalienable rights, we do so tragically find, that those that live for their possessions, their wants, and their desires, forge the chains of their bondage that keeps them from realizing that finite things can never trump the blissfulness of achieving our best purpose.