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Addicted to materialism and riches

Old 04-21-2005, 04:23 PM
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scarecrow
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Addicted to materialism and riches

I'm sad to say that since I have no car and no money I have no life. Some people need these things to thrive. Plus nobody with lots of money will ever take public transit...that's what corvettes benzes etc are for. Anyways I'm anti social and introverted and I don't see much hope with ever getting riches, or rather adequate gear. I hate being around people and I hate going outside. I hate my mind and I don't think it'll ever ever get better, I'm a total melon (like this guy ) now. My minds just getting worse and I hate meetings. I keep trying but I'm not getting anywhere, I'm hopeless. I guess I just have to keep on trekking, it helps if I'm trekking on earth and not mars too(mars being my thinking, earth being reality. Anyways, can't remember when I last smiled.
 
Old 04-21-2005, 04:32 PM
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Forward we go...side by side-Rest In Peace
 
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Lightbulb Hello and Welcome!

If you want to make money... get an education.
Stats show your income rises with formal training.

I hope you will get out of the house and start.
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Old 04-21-2005, 04:35 PM
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Well you can share honestly so your not a 'total' melon.
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Old 04-21-2005, 07:13 PM
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Steps have given me lots of tools. among them:

take action.
do what i say i'm gonna do
treat my obligations and responsibilities as something grown ups do
take joy in being a grown up
demonstrate compassion towards others
get present
practice honesty, openmindedness, willingness
just for today, DON'T USE!!

funny thing happened. the home i was about to lose, i got back, paid it off. bought a few more.
the business i lost- folks began to trust me. folks wanted to be partners . now we gross millions of dollars/yr
sponsor told me having a savings account was one more way to love myself. now i can put my kid thru college.
went from living in fear bout where my next dollar was coming from to understanding that my sponsor is right: as long as i make sure to give it away, gawd makes sure i have enough
Here's the weird part- i never set out to do ANY of those things. I just focused on ALL the facets of my recovery and everything else happened along the way...[i kinda think its maybe a zen thingy]
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Old 04-22-2005, 12:58 AM
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You guys are really cool people, I'm glad I found this site, oh geez there's more icons, very interesting. I didn't mean to diss the icons, I was just really upset yesterday.
 
Old 04-22-2005, 02:11 AM
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Welcome Scarecrow.

Can relate to everything you say....i can get really down about this stuff....i think i should be living in a mansion....but i dont believe i'll ever have the money to buy a garden shed....then i think i am too old to make it happen....then i am depressed and my life is over....in my mind i am a pensioner living in poverty. But like you i keep on trekking and in the moments i dont get ahead of myself i feel just fine.

Warmest wishes
Evanna.
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Old 04-22-2005, 04:35 AM
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I know how you feel honey, sometimes I feel like the poorest person in England. I have two kids, my house is falling to bits, sometimes I get these mushrooms growing out of the tiles in my bathroom, they look like triffids, (really freaky), I dont even have any carpet, my 13 year old son (we call him Snoop Robby Rob) is always after the latest Ackademics tracksuits (100 quid upwards) and Ive had the same pair of shoes for 2 years! But d'you know what, I sit thinking about it all sometimes I just laugh so loud I think my eyes are gonna pop out of my head! The other thing I have is hope, and I tell myself, it ain't gonna be like this forever (pleeez tell me it ain't)

Much love xx
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Old 04-22-2005, 06:06 AM
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Hey Scarecrow--
Your situation is certainly not unique, and I too can relate. But, I also know that there IS hope and that everything works out as long as you keep doing the next right thing, which is what it sounds like you're doing to me.
All the things and more can be yours as long as you know that it's possible. Even only after a few months, my life has improved ten-fold when it comes to my finances, and I also know that it can only get better. I finally take notice and stop myself when I think about frivolous spending (which has been one of my vices, among many). I think: "do I REALLY need this right now"? The answer is almost always-no, and after awhile of being able to save and pay for the most important things...I finally can get whatever it might be that I need for my own enjoyment.
Keep trekking...some days may be harder than others, but the end reward is most definitely worth it.
Welcome, by the way!
Danielle
(not feeling so melon-ish today!)
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Old 04-26-2005, 06:55 AM
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Loving Life and LVNitUP!
 
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Ok....I am going to try and explain this the best that I can without sounding stupid!

MONEY AND THINGS MEAN NOTHING!

I live in a beautiful 4 bedroom house. I drive a 2005 Hummer. I have a dog named Diamond...if that tells you anything about my favorite jewel. I won't get into anything more. Everything I have is paid for by my SO. I married well, huh?....or did I?

I grew up poor, then my mother got an education (father was gone by the time I was 3 yrs. old), and now owns 4 companies. That's her own rags to riches story, but I went through it all with her.
So I have had the opportunity to see both sides.

During my dating years I have had the opportunity to marry 2 other wealthy people, but I did not because I did not love them.
I have always worked, I am very strong in my independence...with an I take care of me attitude!
Then, this person comes along and wants to buy me the world, and I felt special.
Through my eyes of addition I convinced myself that I was really attracted to this person, and I was sort of. But I think that it was the 'money' and the 'things' that made the idea of the relationship even more exciting and attractive.
I am very ashamed to admit that, I never thought any of that would matter to me, it never did before.
After all, I am just a girl who has always taken care of herself and actually prefers to live alone.
I got caught up in the evil of money....and if I could turn back time or trade all that I have for happiness...I would in a heartbeat!

So, even though I have all of these 'things' am I any happier than anyone else? OF COURSE NOT! I am an alcoholic, and my addiction has taken 21 years of my life's dreams....and none of them were money!
I have fears and childhood/adult issues, I am terrified of intamacy (not meaning s*x alone), I am bipolar, and as my therapist calls it...emotionally unavailable. I do not bond with people....meaning I can relate and be a best friend, but I can pick up and walk away without notice, I am a drifter....no emotional attachments. I am really working on that one. I'm tired, and running is lonely. And countless other issuses.
My point is.....MONEY AND THINGS did not make any of my problems go away!

I am just now learning to be still and look at myself and my life SOBER, and I hate what I see. I despise who I have allowed myself to become, and right now the mirror is my enemy along with the alcohol!
As I look around at all of my 'things', I would much rather be living paycheck to paycheck, as I had for years.

Buy me the world? I don't think so...every thing has a price tag, and I have been purchased!
MONEY TRULY IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL!!

By the way, I do work. I work in a factory, 12 hours a day...in 120* heat (in the summer), even though I do not have to. I choose to in order to maintain my independence. I also do volunteer work for the homeless.

I hope I have not offended anyone with this post. It is not my intention to make anyone feel bad....just to show that addiction, depression, fear, anxiety, and all of those other issuse that we are all facing comes in all types of people money or not, and if anything, for me the money just made it worse!

Have a wonderful day everyone!
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Old 04-26-2005, 11:21 AM
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Ama
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Originally Posted by mackat
Steps have given me lots of tools. among them:

take action.
do what i say i'm gonna do
treat my obligations and responsibilities as something grown ups do
take joy in being a grown up
demonstrate compassion towards others
get present
practice honesty, openmindedness, willingness
just for today, DON'T USE!!

Here's the weird part- i never set out to do ANY of those things. I just focused on ALL the facets of my recovery and everything else happened along the way...[i kinda think its maybe a zen thingy]
I think this is happening to me too....but the true riches we accumulate are not earthly in my opinion....and from the ordinary comes the extraordinary.....the azur blue of a Mediteranean sea, a birds morning call....but one day at a time and concentrating on what I do have and not the have nots!!!!!! True wealth dwells within one.... It is all a state of mind......
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Old 04-26-2005, 02:18 PM
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doing the inside job
 
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Attitude of gradtitude

if I want to be miseable
I think of what I want
I think of what I don't have
I thing of what others have
and WHALLAA.....i feel like crap.

money , things or anythings...means what it means to me.
How important is it ?...It's as important to me as I make it.
But it's not me.

I can be happy with or without material things or money
I can be unhappy with or without material things or money.

It dosen't matter where I'm at.
there's alway going to be someone better off than me
and there's always going to be someone worst off than me.

A nasty habit of comparing myself to others...not really my fualt.
Kind of been trained that way from the day I was born.
But I'm an adult now. I get to choose the way I think.
Never mind who's at fualt. I think like that. So I have to change that.
Nobody is going to changed my mind for me, except me.
After all..I tried alterning it with drugs and alcohol..it stopped working !!
So..... how that hell do I work myself out of this stinking thinking?
Sounds like a tall order too.

The graditude list, very healing
The things I have. lets go to the BASICS and keep it simple.
Mmmmm lets see........

I can walk
I can run
I can jump
I can talk
I can read
I can see
I can taste
I can smell
I can hear
I can love
I can dance
I can think
I can belive

the paradox....the more greatful I am , the more is giving to me.
After all I can't give what I don't have.

example:
I'm happy , I recently purchased an RG320 DX Ibanis electric guitar.
It has all the impotant things, jumbo frets, fast action
a thin neck that fits my hand, a Flody Rose tremolo system.
The prefect guitar for me that I came across, not even look'in.
It's second hand, but in great condition. Only $200.
I 'm greatful to be in the possition to obtain this guitar.
I don't belive I would have found it, even if I was looking for it.
I've been visioning of such a prefect guitar for me.
And oneday, someway, somehow, that perfect guitar for me
will come into my life. Even thou I didn't know exactly
what it was going to be. I will know when that time came.. Whala..there it is.
Everything I have today , has been giving to me..they are gifts.
Even the two dallor bill, I have in my wallet.

Nope..it's not The $2500 Les Paul hanging in the window.
Can I live without both of these guitars?...course I can.
I already have many other guitars.
Do these guitars make me a better musician ?... NO
Nope..it's the love of playing these guitars or music... it's me.
Do I need a guitar to be a guitar man ?... Yes
Is it nice to have a bunch of guitar?... Of course, I have 7
Am I happy with it ? ....Yes I am.
Dose that make me better than other people?...no it dosen't
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