“Too many people spend money they haven’t earned, to buy things they don’t want, to impress people they don’t like.”
~ Will Rogers
Will Rogers said this years ago, before our culture was taken hostage by consumerism. I think this is one of the blessings of an economic downturn — people are forced to clarify talking their priorities and differentiate between needs and wants.
Letting go of impressing others is one of the keys to happiness — you have to live your authentic life, not the one others tell you to live. This is the wisdom we often achieve after years of chasing the dreams of other people. The “mid life crisis” is not actually a crisis at all, but a call to authenticity.