Lemme Upgrade You

One of the goals for many people in life is to improve upon their current or previous situation. Whether it is automobile choice, living situation, cell phone, employment or even relationship, we are all looking for the upgrade in life. Some upgrades are feasible (bigger car or home to accommodate a growing family), while others are just ridiculous (iPhone 4S to the iPhone5 because it’s shiny & new). Ultimately, we all want something better.


But where do we draw the line for our pursuit of greener pastures? Do we have that ultimate goal that once it’s reached, there are no more upgrades that need to happen? Does everyone want to get to the Bugatti and then hope for the next great multi-million dollar car? Are we just programmed to always want more?

I happen to feel that we are indeed programmed to always want more, in general. What we want more of may differ, but we do indeed have something that we all wish we had more of. Some of us want more money, others want time, and so on, but have we ever stopped to think when enough is enough. We all want but how many of us really consider needs?

Basic needs include food, shelter, water, air and clothing (which for some of us is optional, but I digress). After these things, what do we really need? After the basic needs, most people have limitless wants. This is introduced to us at a very early age. As soon as we are able to decipher words and distinguish colors, advertising companies are marketing to us. “You have to have the latest toys or games.” And after that, we all become ‘want monsters.’ Not to say that this is a bad thing, but many of our wants are confused as needs. I don’t say this to make you feel guilty; this is just basic human instinct. Even I have wants.

The challenge in this is to really consider what is needed in all aspects of life, and being honest with yourself about what you truly need. This takes a certain amount of self analysis and self-examination. You have to know yourself to know what you really need in life. Most of us aren’t ready to step back and take that look in the mirror, because we are afraid of what we may find out about ourselves. This shouldn’t be something we fear, but a growth experience that we need to help us make the next step in life.

Understanding what we need to feel a sense of fulfillment is vital to peace of mind. If you are willing to take that step to get to self-actualization, you can find what you truly need in life. You will understand your place and you can then take the steps to get what you truly need. Some of you may even find that you’ve already had what you needed all along.