Do you ever stop to think about whether you really need something, or whether it’s just a nice to have? And if that ‘nice to have’ is denying someone else something basic would you still have it? Or, indeed, if that ‘nice to have’ leads you to crave even more, is it actually making you happy or feeding an unhealthy desire?

I was browsing The Week magazine this morning and I saw a house for sale that had planning permission for a swimming pool. I thought it was quite ironic as the section was about waterfront properties and this one was next to a lake. Clearly the sellers didn’t feel they had enough water in their life so thought they ought to plan to build their own mini-lake next to the natural one. I have heard it suggested that cold water swimming is good for keeping depression at bay. Presumably if you see consumption as the route to happiness then perhaps a bit of cold water swimming might help reset the internal values.

George Eastman developed his Kodak camera and then developed an even better one. Everyone said he was mad; everyone else made a product and kept that as their sole offer. George Eastman tapped into something primeval. Our inner chimp likes more: more trinkets, more protection. These days we all feel we ‘need’ the latest technology. But do we actually need it and is it making us genuinely happy? It’s certainly helping us to empty our bank accounts and send it to a small group of tech companies.

Would you love to break free of the consumption treadmill.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Please leave a message on the Inflow Performance Facebook page or Breaking Free group.