There comes a time when all consumers must become producers. The notion of the food chain suggests that there must be a balance, because otherwise anything and everything would be extinct. Furthermore, there would be no food chain unless there was balance among all parties. The case that I’m referring to is somewhat different from that of evolution. No, I’m referring to how we take what we learn from society and create new molds from that knowledge. In other words, think about the food that you order at the restaurant. It’s great, right? Now think about how much you pay for that food. Why spend all your earnings on survival when you are perfectly capable of sustaining yourself? My belief that everyone should know how to cook is more than a belief; it’s a principle of sustainability. If you can’t sustain yourself, then you are a consumer of society – not a producer. You are automatically at the bottom of the food chain. I’ve reflected in prior entries about why I feel that understanding the world in which we live is integral to knowing how to survive within in from an economical standpoint, but I’ve not yet discussed this balance of consumer-producer that is equally imperative to a functioning world. If there are no consumers, then there are no producers, and vice versa. The two depend on each other; think of it like supply and demand. Consumer demands determine what the producers supply. However, there is a limit to how much that supply-demand scale can fall outside equilibrium. If it becomes too far unbalanced, the system will fall apart, and neither will be physically able to sustain the other. How does this relate to today’s entry? Well, consider now the fast food that you buy; it’s a great illustration of this framework. You pay $4 for a breakfast sandwich every day. That’s $28 per week that you spend on breakfast sandwiches alone. Now think about the coffee you buy on top of that – an extra $15-30 per week depending on how much you drink. Now, you’re budgeting around $50 per week on breakfast. That is the economical equivalent of your demand, which requires sufficient supply. But now multiply that by the millions who demand the same. Do you see how the integrity of economical balance is threatened? Look at how far the US is already in debt – it comes back to supply and demand (the result being industrialization). Most of us have become accustomed to the rushed style of living that almost dictates the kind of demand outlined above. Recognize however that this “dictation” is only marketing. After all, what are businesses concerned with? Your needs or their profits? And with the $50 per week you spend on breakfast, you are giving into the fallacy that your demand is required because of a lifestyle that you chose. Never forget that your life, when broken down, is made up of choices and nothing else. You can choose to spend $50 a week on breakfast, or you can break from that fallacy and discover better uses for your money and time. In the same way, supply and demand is a system based on choices. It’s just that in contemporary society, those choices often appear forced because of corporate marketing. That is why I am writing this blog – to illustrate the big picture with both a consumer and producer perspective. You can’t understand the world unless you have all the perspectives. But you’ll never get all the perspectives, so your understanding of the world will always be limited. Therefore, keeping your mind open is vital to balance; if everyone thought the same way, no progress would be made. Hence, the producer-consumer balance would be threatened. Acknowledging this perspective for me meant taking a step back and recreating one of the most popular breakfast sandwiches at the famous Seattle-based coffeehouse chain known as Starbucks: the bacon gouda sandwich. I’m going to put this very simply: there is nothing special about this sandwich, and it is not worth the $4 you pay for it. So why do you pay it? Do you feel that you have no other choice because of your busy schedule? Let me offer you a new approach to that mindset. Start by clearing your mind. Now, think about what you are good at. What do you do for a living? Are you a doctor or a marketer? Perhaps you are into real estate. Maybe you’re an actor. Whatever you are and whatever you like, it doesn’t matter. Why? Because everyone does the same things. We all eat, sleep, use the restroom, breathe, and drink (some of us more than others). Think about the time you spend doing the things that are necessary for your survival. Statistically, most countries get anywhere between six and a half to nine hours of sleep every night. That’s anywhere from one-fourth to one-third of your entire life. Eating and other necessary things probably take up another significant fraction. Hence, the time you spend working and, well, conscious, is already limited to begin with. But back to the above, how you spend that time rests in your choices. Your productivity is already biologically limited; why do we try so hard to combat that? Take a moment, consider what I’ve just said, and now think about the daily routine that you set for yourself. Do you ever give yourself time? Or do you cram that time as much as you can, consciously aware of the choices that ergo require you to spend so much money on fast food? I am by no means suggesting that business is an excuse for giving into the system’s supply, but the implications I am outlining here is that you always have choices, whether you realize it or not. If you gave yourself thirty minutes one morning at the beginning of each week (or, even better, the weekend!), you could easily prepare breakfast for yourself for the entire week. And make your own coffee at home; you waste no time at all if you prepare your coffee while you get ready. That’s $50 you save right there, not to mention how much better it is for both your body and your wellbeing. Time management is certainly imperative to success in this world; think about cooking as part of that time management, not a hobby. That’s how I fit it in. I always consider cooking a necessary part of my schedule – not free time – and that allows me to ensure that I always have food ready for myself. In fact, this mindset is how I can do anything and everything that I want. I treat it like work, and I encourage you to do the same. Thinking about your entire life in this way removes the distinction of work and play; it instead composes a balance based only on priorities without disrupting your routine (because it is your routine). To bring this entry full circle, stop thinking about how you can make the world a better place. Think about how you can make your world a better place. Balance your consumption with your production. When it comes to food, my suggestion would be not to rely on the world to feed you. Prices will only continue to rise (again, because of supply/demand) and it will never improve you or your state of being. Food budgeting is such an overlooked routine, due in part because of the choices that you feel you do not have. My strategy is to treat my cooking as necessary. I keep a daily planner, and the first thing that goes in is my work schedule. The second thing that goes in is my cooking schedule. From there, I fill the gaps with everything else. Planning your days is so simple; but you must be willing to renew your thought process. Stop letting the world make decisions for you. Remember, you are your own person! Everyone is both a consumer and producer but knowing where to balance the two is dependent on your openness to change. I made that change long ago when I started cooking. And I can attest today how it has positively impacted my own life. I am healthier, more in control of my life, less dependent on others, and therefore more productive because I am happier on my own. Additionally, I no longer order breakfast sandwiches from Starbucks, because in thirty minutes I can make six of them. That saves me a lot of money, which adds to my satisfaction. This is the message that I intend to share with you. Give your life the potential it deserves! Take some extra breaths and have a good day.
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June 2018
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