Monday; January 27


          Have you noticed how easy it is to blame the media for our woes?  The other day I heard an ad that condemned media for making women feel bad about their looks and therefore their self-image.  Now, before I go any further, I am not on a campaign to defend modern media, nor am I going to demonize them.  I believe our issue with media – especially advertisers – is understanding their function.  The goal of advertising is sell us stuff, not make us better people.  Sure, there are a few occasions when that might happen, but if we expect companies to care more about our well-being than their bottom line, we are going to be disappointed. Major corporations aren’t responsible for loving us, that feeling must come from somewhere else.
          If we are looking for a way to feel good about ourselves we would be better off looking inside ourselves – or at least to our inner circle of companions.  When we develop an appreciation for who we are independent of what Madison Avenue is pushing we can enjoy an inner peace that is driven by spirit, not economics.  When we surround ourselves with people who care about us for who we are, not how we look, we will be able to withstand the ebbs and flows of society and fads.
          If you see something being advertised and you want it, go for it – just don’t allow the pressure of a new look or another gadget define who you are.  Sure it can be difficult, but to make it in today’s world we need to be tough!  If it was easy to be confident, spiritual, satisfied, successful people everyone would do it, but it isn’t.  Let’s make the decision to be the best people we can be, then trust that God and our good friends will help us realize our goal.
          Think About It!

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