Materialism and Poverty Consciousness
What do people truly need when not driven by fear?
December brings much joy and excitement as we celebrate holidays and the beginning of a new year. In the last century, Christmas has also come to signify a season focused very much on materialism. Black Friday, Cyber Monday and end-of-year sales command customer attention.
Too often, consumption and debt underpin this festive time. In this season, conscious leaders have the opportunity to transform the darker side of the holidays into something that is truly beneficial for all.
Some of the materialism that plagues our society is rooted in poverty consciousness. This is the belief that one’s value is based upon the material goods one can accumulate, or a fear of being unsafe that only material goods can guard against. Individuals with this level of consciousness seek outward riches and rewards to placate their lack of inherent self-worth or fear of being unsafe and unprotected. It’s a viscous cycle because no amount of wealth seems to fill the hole or placate the fear.
Conscious leaders can help lift us out of poverty consciousness by identifying and working on their own level of consciousness and helping those around them do the same. How often do you fall into the trap of “keeping up with the Jones’” in your work and life? Do you perpetuate this mentality through how you market your company’s products and services? Does your company internally incentivize thinking and behavior rooted in poverty consciousness?
Spiritual author Lisa Renee penned a fascinating article about poverty consciousness that talks about how we can start lifting people out of this destructive program:
“To shift the economic model, we have to listen to what people need and not give them things they have no value or use for. Many of the politicians in power are totally out of touch with what people really need in order to have an increased quality of life. When we orientate ourselves to be of service to the whole and we cultivate our talents and act authentically, caring for others and applying effort to improve ourselves, it is a natural byproduct to manifest more prosperity and happiness.”
All of us wish to manifest more prosperity and happiness for ourselves, our loved ones, and our world. It starts by examining our own level of consciousness and which unhealthy society programs we embrace to our detriment. Once we start doing the deep work of untangling ourselves from such mental traps, we can truly see things differently and build businesses, governments, and societies where true prosperity and happiness flourish.
I wish you a season of genuine prosperity and happiness,
Meredith
The way we work and build teams is rapidly changing. Leaders often feel unprepared to navigate the transition. As a conscious leadership coach, consultant and communicator, Meredith helps leaders and their teams create new ways of working and relating so they can prepare for the future by consciously co-creating it.
Contact her to develop your conscious leadership and transform your organization into the workplace of the future.
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