Consumption vs. Creation

Are you or someone else you know a couch potato? There isn’t anything wrong with being a couch potato per se as a few of us enjoy that kind of lifestyle or just need some time to recover. However, if you want to change your lifestyle, there are a few approaches to break the habit of being a couch potato. It can take some willpower, dedication, and time to change yourself. That’s okay, so long as you make a conscious decision to change.

A couch potato is defined as someone who watches TV (or YouTube, or games a lot) and is lazy to get any form of physical activity. Personally, I do not watch much TV, though I do watch YouTube videos. However, I do not let YouTube consume my life. If you watch a fair amount of TV, YouTube, or engage a lot in video gaming, you may want to take a step back and examine what it is that you’re really doing.

Consumption vs. Creation

There are two approaches in life: consume or create. Examples of consuming include shopping and reading. Creating means you’re actively expressing your ideas such as through YouTube or through a blog. The more you create, the more you receive back. But some people get caught up in only consuming. They consume as much as they can, and they might have the luxury or comfort of doing that. But if you go overboard and do not take care of yourself, only consuming as much as you can (such as eating too much), you’ll have trouble reaching your highest potential.

Many people choose the consumption lifestyle because it is comfortable. Especially nowadays with the advancement of our technology, it can be easy to get caught up in materialism.

Creators know that by creating some form of value, they will receive something in return. And those who are masters at creating can make lots of money such as Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, Will Smith, and so on.

Is Consumption Really Bad?

Consumption is not necessarily bad. It just means that you are used to relying on other people for something in return. Creators know how to provide value.

Capitalism allows us to know who the true consumers and creators are. Consumers can sometimes drive themselves into debt. Creators know how to create positive cashflow.

If you’re interested in shifting your mindset into being a creator, you can check out my blog post on passive income. You can also try removing limiting beliefs through REBT (rational-emotive behavioral therapy).