In the media today, personal fulfillment is reached with material things and satisfaction. Wanting something and wanting to do something is not a bad thing, if good intentions are behind it. I get more sense of personal fulfillment when I help others. Today, people want nice cars, big houses, and very small dogs to carry around in their purse to make themselves look and feel like they have reached their goal of personal fulfillment. The way we see personal fulfillment on TV, is bad because some people go into debt trying to keep up with the Joneses, some people can have all the material things in the world and never be happy, and people should get the feeling of self fulfillment from helping others.
The first reason, personal fulfillment viewed on TV is bad, is because some people go into debt trying to keep up with the Joneses. Imagine how much money one could save towards retirement if one didn’t have to pay an overdue car note for a new Range Rover that was just purchased. Or imagine how much money that could be saved if you didn’t have to make a late mortgage payment on a three bedroom house in which you live alone in. Is going into debt trying to keep up with the Joneses worth this kind of personal fulfillment?
The next reason, personal fulfillment viewed on TV is bad, is that some people can have all the material things in the world and never be happy. For example my mother’s friend Sharon was always flashy with her new diamonds, pearls, and nice big cars. My mother worked just as hard as Sharon did even at the same job. My mom wondered why she couldn’t afford such nice diamonds and big cars as her friend. Later my mom found out that most of Sharon’s diamonds and pearls were inherited and her cars were leased. A few months later Sharon’s house was up for foreclosure. Sharon had a lot of nice things to mask her problems, she was depressed and was struggling with her money.
My final reason, personal fulfillment viewed on TV is bad, is because people should get the feeling of personal fulfillment from helping others. If people spent less time thinking about themselves and think about others, the world would be a better place. I feel that volunteer work at a Salvation Army or giving to a charity to make someone else’s day, would be more fulfilling than buying the latest Prada bag from Nordstrom. I get the sense of personal fulfillment when I do something just to put a smile on someone’s face.
Personal fulfillment should come from personal accomplishments and reaching out to help others. People need to realize that they are more than just a reflection in the mirror; I think that people need to get turned inside out once in a while. Personal fulfillment shouldn’t come from the things we have but from the things we achieve in our growth in life.