I am obviously not saying people should be exploited, I am saying given the current conditions, one shouldn't force themselves to be miserable, ashamed because they don't physically have tons of money in the bank, or owe money, or whatever -- if you are """"just making ends meet"""" [a phrase that basically means, getting an A or B on the test of paying all your necessarily bills etc], it is as though you are expected, DEMANDED to vaguely feel like shit every day you're not Wolf of Wall Street.

I am obviously not saying either that it isn't a bummer i can't buy a telescope or book a cruise right now. If you watch commercials, everyone lives in a damn magazine, and that's probably not good for the psyche to see.

I am speaking broadly of the gray shroud that regularly having <$20 in the bank feels like it casts upon us: it is literally fake. to paraphrase karl pilkington, money is just something you have in case you don't die tomorrow. your bank account is a pane in the settings screen, not a constant HUD.

Many with good intentions denote it as being a miserable, thankless, deprived way of life - and sure yeah, in a sense. I am trying to not make the boring point about 'happiness is possible anytime' 'who cares about concert tickets' 'they make it seem miserable to sell doordash' etc but -- I noticed myself just instinctively literally physically hanging my head the other day - because I was thinking about how I wanted to buy a thing. Which is insane? Why should I feel like shit about that?

The story we tell ourselves about what our currency management MEANS about ourselves -- about EVERY FIBER of EVERY MOOD, at times -- is ARTIFICIAL. I was moping around a lil tonight because, seemingly, I wasn't living in a resort. That is an INSANE standard to have for yourself. (You can shift into the lens of letting yourself feel things like you are in a resort, however.)