63of our time passively consuming rather than
creating, we can find ourselves feeling very
empty and dissatisfied. All of a sudden our
peace of mind depends on satisfying our next
consumer craving.
Just like with exercise, there’s a bit of
resistance that one needs to push through –
because it is easier to consume than create, just
like it’s easier to sit on the couch than it is to
start writing the book that one always wanted
to write. Yet when we pay attention to our
ideas and make them happen, we dive into the
creative process – which, in the long run, will
lead us into a meaningful life where we feel
congruent with ourselves and others, and
a sense of being purpose-driven.
How can one monitor – and rebalance – the
ratio of time one spends creating rather than
consuming? Here are reasons why we are over-
reliant on consumption and some ways to tip
the balance back toward creation.t’s Saturday morning. Laura wakes up
and scrolls through social media for
45 minutes, smiling as she double-
taps posts from last night. She reads
the news over breakfast, and watches Netf lix
as she works out. Later, she goes shopping with
a friend. Across town, Marie meditates when
she wakes up and then journals over breakfast.
She spends 15 minutes working on a silly song
she’s writing for her boyfriend (tonight’s their
anniversary). Then she meets a friend for a
walk in the park.
Both women are enjoying their weekend. But
Marie is doing a lot of creating, while Laura is
mostly consuming. When you think about your
life, are you happy with the amount of time you
spend creating versus consuming?
In our society, people face a daily onslaught
of media and goods. The term ‘consumers’
says it all – sometimes it seems that all we do is
consume. And yet when we spend the majorityWhen we make our creative
ideas happen, we dive into the
creative process – which will
lead us into a meaningful life
where we feel congruent with
ourselves and others, and a
sense of being purpose-driven.I