New Mantra

I was reading somewhere (I flit though so many websites,  I can never recall where I read what)  and the phrase "Love people, use things" caught my eye.

I think we get so out of shape in our Western society,  when we do the opposite - love things and use people.  Using people is terrible,  it belittles them and us.  And when work places and culture treat people as disposable,  as gadgets that can be swapped in and out with no thought or compunction,  that's when we get our societal ills.  And when we add to that,  that so many people love things - clothes, cars,  money,  houses,  more than they love the people in their lives,  that's also when everything can go wrong.

So appreciate the things in your life,  the joy of collecting,  the ease of ownership.  But don't love them.  Love the people and animals you chose to bring into your daily life.  Love people,  use things.  It's a great mantra. 

While I was looking for images for this piece,  I realized that this mantra is a book title - Love People,  Use Things,  by Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus.  I haven't read the book,  but I love the title!