I found myself nodding in agreeing with what David Wann wrote throughout Simple Prosperity: Finding Wealth in a Sustainable Lifestyle.
As Americans, our obsession on spending money to buy stuff began over one hundred years ago, during the Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution created an abundance of cheap goods; advertisements taught us that buying stuff would make us happy and fulfilled.
Wann shows us that stuff doesn't make us happy and that the uber-abundance of goods is ruining the environment, particularly cheap, disposable goods, most of which are petroleum based.
Wann believes we must shed the beliefs that goods will make us happy. That we must shift our thinking from economic growth and consumption to become a knowledge based economy. This shift in thinking is not merely for the individuals' well-being, but for the survival of the planet.
The shift from a material dominated society to a spiritual, aesthetic and artistic culture is already happening, led by the Cultural Creatives. For more on the the Cultural Creatives, read: [[ASIN:0609808451 The Cultural Creatives: How 50 Million People Are Changing the World]] (BTW: the CC's are now approximately 100 million strong; are you one?)
The author of the award winning book, [[ASIN:0977963306 Harmonious Environment: Beautify, Detoxify and Energize Your Life, Your Home and Your Planet]] |
Simple Prosperity: Finding Real Wealth in a Sustainable Lifestyle Books In Print, Audio Books.