What is your life’s purpose? The term “you can be all you can be” is influential but what will it mean when you don’t know all the options you have? People have been so heavily influenced by the mainstream ideas of America that the individuality has decreased. Knowing your own character is crucial to pursuing your passion instead of following in someone else’s footsteps.
Addiction to television has caused many American households to come to a stand still on the growth of their lives. Advertisements of all kinds encourage people to consume products that are not beneficial to them. Hmm, some would say it’s like these products are being force fed to us by the major companies.
The average American over the age of 18 watches over 5 hours of television per day and for children from ages 2 to 11; they watch 24 hours of television in a week.
Instead of wasting time watching television people could be doing more productive activities; building relationships with family members, exercising, spending time with our pets whether that be walking them or playing with them, growing spiritually, giving your time to people in need, pursue or continue higher education, grow your very own garden, and they would have time to build your skills especially pertaining to your passion(s).
While traveling around the country and listening to different radio stations, you would expect a difference in the variety of the music that’s being played. The same artists are being played on every major pop/hip-hop radio stations. These same artists win all the awards and have the biggest influence on the world. Very few people create their own music, let alone choose the music they listen to. Most songs that people recommend come from the same mainstream artist. It’s as if the underground art of making music is completely dead.
In the days before radio corporatization, stations would interview local artists and promote their growth in music. Now the stations only interview the artists who already are widely known, the artist who already have your support, the artists who already have your money, the artists who you already look up to as idols. Often people would say how they prefer old school music over what’s being played on the radio today. Many older artists don’t stop making music after the fame dies down; they continue to write, produce, and have nationwide tours.
The only time a concert is worth going to is when it’s hosted by a well-known artist, in which they sell out the arena. Why listen to music from an artist that you can’t relate to? If you can’t relate to having millions, a mansion, a fleet of expensive cars, and women throwing themselves at you, then why conform to their way of thinking? What enters your brain and what you think about will come out in your speech. Be careful of what occupies your mind because your speech relates to your actions and your actions determine your character. Mainstream ideas turn your mind from real love. You experience and dangle money and false happiness in front of you so you strive to gain wealth. Real love that came in the form of poetry slams, family dinners, and day-to-day communication with random people.
If you’re a target of the fast food industry, it is highly advisory you turn away. Ignorance is bliss, but not when it’s subconsciously harming you. A greatly informational documentary is “Food Inc.”, which exposes the practices of global food production. It also shines a light of the horrible condition the farm animals live in and the harmful diet they are forced to intake. Once aware of the truth, change will come almost instantly. In every impoverished neighborhood in America you can find a McDonalds. Low-income families choose fast food because of the long hours worked and because it’s inexpensive.
If you continue to see a product while you’re outside, the same product in commercials, and hear about the same product on the radio then you are being programmed to know and use this product. These big name companies use advertisement to gain your interest in their product while the little companies that can’t afford a wide range of advertisement are left to fail. Turn away from the schemes that subconsciously teach you how to be dependent on them. Start buying fresh organic fruits and vegetables for your home. Cook dinner for your family every night. Drink more water and let go of all liquids that are high in sugar; all sodas even if it says diet or zero calorie. Most people won’t recognize they’re addicted to a substance unless someone points it out to them. If you have a hard time going a day without having that certain substance, than you need to practice self control.
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat are all apps that are used for means of communication around the world. When people first start using one of these apps they only add people they know; family and friends. Once celebrities come on social media it turns it into a game of who is more popular. Everybody wants to be liked and accepted that they would pay for people to follow them. What once could be used as an outlet of creativity has been turned to a popularity contest. No longer should you idolize celebrities as if their lives are better than yours.
Money does not guarantee happiness and even in your poverty do you not have a good time? The rich and famous don’t have it all, therefore be grateful for the life you live. Once you start that life of wanting to be like the people you see online than your value as an individual decreases. Be who you are, love and accept who you’ve become. If there are changes in your life you need to make so that you can grow emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually; you won’t find them on Instagram.
