“Keep your needs
and wants simple
and enjoy what you have.” 
Henry David Thoreau

Discerning between what we need and what we want can be a constant struggle for many of us. One of the primary goals of advertising today is to convince consumers that we absolutely need whatever it is that is being promoted in the ad — and most advertising does this quite effectively. With no prior thought about a particular product, a 30-second ad can make us believe that we couldn’t possibly survive without the item being sold. And so we buy.

The words of American psychologist Clark Moustakas on this matter are disconcertingly true. He warned, “When a person acts without knowledge of what he thinks, feels, needs, or wants, he does not yet have the option of choosing to act differently.” Despite this, we claim that we are free to do as we desire. Most of us are grateful for the free will we’ve been given to choose for ourselves from among many options. Sadly, we surrender this option far too often by not taking the time to reflect on the one simple question we should ask ourselves prior to most purchases: “Do I really need this or do I just want it?”

We have the ability to simplify our lives by not burdening ourselves with a collection of unnecessary possessions. Take a look around your home. How many items, which at one time seemed like absolute needs, turned out to be nothing more than wants? I’m guessing there are a few, and I’d venture to say that you don’t even want some of those items today.

As we begin the process of selecting the ideal Christmas gift for a family member or friend, we may not be concerned about the person’s actual need for what we get them. When purchasing for ourselves, however, it would be beneficial, now and throughout the year, for us to ask the simple question: “Do I need it or do I want it?”

There is a difference!