Obsessed With Acquisition

by Joel Garfinkle, Dream Job Coaching

A subscriber recently wrote the following:

I’ve been thinking a lot about work and money since quitting my ‘UN-dream job’ in order to pursue my dream job. I’ve thought about the new “American way” of acquisition.

We’re obsessed with getting more ’stuff’: more money, monster houses, bigger cars to drive, endless gadgets, bigger serving sizes of fast food and more. It’s making us all greedy, discontented and selfish. We’re wealthier and have more things than ever before and yet, people are unhappy than ever before.

We forget that it’s our job as humans to learn and expand our wisdom and compassion and to take care of one another and our world. Instead we destroy each other and our environment so that we can we can acquire more ’stuff’ at the expense of everyone and everything else.

This is true. Having worked with over 2,000 people over the past few years, I have seen this so many times. There is a tremendous amount of wanting and longing in people. They’re not satisfied and they crave fulfillment. However, in today’s fast paced society, they seek the quick fix and short-term fulfillment from obtaining more and bigger “things.” But deep down, they crave fulfillment more than all of their acquisitions. For example, if you love creating art, the feeling of fulfillment and contentedness you get from doing that makes you happy and you have less of a need to acquire more things.

This isn’t a cure-all. We’re always going to want and need certain material possessions and I’m not saying that we should abandon them altogether. What I’m saying is to consider their relative importance overall in your life and consider what they may be used as a substitute for. How can you cultivate more satisfaction in your work and your life overall rather than seeking a quick fix? The answer to this question is where true fulfillment lies.

Copyright ©2004 - 2008 Joel Garfinkle, All Rights Reserved.

Joel Garfinkle provides a step-by-step Dream Job process that has guided thousands of clients to find the perfect job and reach career fulfillment. For Career Coaching Services, visit Dream Job Coaching.

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