hello and welcome back to the English
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dialogue podcast I am Mike your co-host
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and I'm Emma it's great to have you here
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with us again today we're diving into a
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topic that seems to be affecting so many
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people's daily lives how social media
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influencers encourage a NeverEnding
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cycle of consumption making us feel that
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to be happy we must constantly buy more
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right lately I've noticed a pattern on
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Instagram Tik Tok and YouTube
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influencers show off new products every
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week New Clothes gadgets Cosmetics cars
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and vacations the message is subtle but
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powerful if you want to be happy if you
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want a fulfilling life you need to keep
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up and purchase the and greatest and
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what does that do to our sense of
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gratitude it almost completely Sidelines
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it the idea of being thankful for what
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we already have becomes less important
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instead we feel we're inadequate if we
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don't keep buying it's like our
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selfworth is tied to how much we consume
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think about how dangerous this mindset
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can be traditional wisdom often tells us
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happiness isn't found in material things
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it's found in relationships experiences
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and personal growth but influencers
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often backed by brand deals and
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sponsorships push this idea that
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happiness is just one purchase away they
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rarely say appreciate what you've got
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instead it's look at this new item you
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must have this constant push chips away
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at our ability to appreciate what's
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already in our lives it's not just about
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stuff this mindset can also make us feel
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that our normal everyday life is dull
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suddenly what we have isn't good enough
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our older phone our comfortable sofa our
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weekend plans with friends they start to
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feel less exciting compared to the
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flashy Lifestyles we see
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online let's consider how influencers
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craft their image they show carefully
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curated moments perfect lighting
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Flawless outfits exotic travel
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destinations and brand new possessions
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it's always something fresh and
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appealing we see their unboxing videos
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their Hall segments their affiliate
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links telling us you need this now over
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time we internalize the message that if
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we don't keep up with these endless
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upgrades we're somehow missing out our
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gratitude Fades because we're taught not
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to cherish what's already there and it's
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important to understand the economic
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incentives behind this influencers often
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earn money through commissions on
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products they promote their job is to
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make you desire more if they posted a
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message urging you to say hey look
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around aren't you already blessed their
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revenue might suffer so they double down
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on making the old feel outdated and the
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essential there's a real psychological
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toll here when people constantly feel
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that they need more material items to be
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happy they never reach a state of
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contentment it's always just one more
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thing and then you'll feel fulfilled but
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that moment of fulfillment never truly
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arrives the next day there's something
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else to buy this cycle leads to anxiety
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restlessness and even depression we're
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chasing a horizon that keeps moving
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farther away exactly in the long term
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this erods our well-being instead of
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cherishing the everyday Pleasures like a
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home-cooked meal a walk in the park or
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laughter with friends we become fixated
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on what we lack gratitude is a key
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ingredient to mental health it grounds
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us reminds us that we have enough that
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we are enough when influencers
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discourage gratitude and push
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consumerism they're robbing us of an
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essential tool for happiness have you
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ever noticed that when you step back
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from social media for a few days you
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start to appreciate the little things
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I've found that when I'm not scrolling
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through someone's feed of constant new
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stuff I'm more at peace I look around my
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home and think this is comfortable
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outdated I've definitely felt that a
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digital detox can do wonders without the
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constant comparison suddenly the things
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you own regain their charm and utility
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you remember why you bought them in the
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first place you realize that what you
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have is actually quite good and you
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don't need to replace it just because
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someone online said there's a cooler
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version let's break down how influencers
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discourage gratitude in more concrete
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terms first they rely on novelty the new
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collection drop the limited edition the
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latest release everything is framed as
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Superior this novelty Factor makes our
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current possessions seem stale instead
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of being thankful that our current
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jacket keeps us warm we're made to feel
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season second influencers often employ
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aspirational imagery they look
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effortlessly happy and fulfilled in
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their posts we subconsciously link their
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Joy to the products they're showing off
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our minds conclude that to feel that
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same joy we must follow their example
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and purchase those items we never see
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them say I'm content because I value
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what I have it's always tied to the
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external third they rarely mention
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sustainability or mindful consumption
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The Narrative is about endless growth
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and endless acquisition gratitude
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involves acknowledging that we have
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enough that we don't need more stuff
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cluttering our lives but influencers
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discourage this equilibrium because it
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halts the purchasing cycle they don't
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profit from you being content with your
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old phone after all this mindset affects
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not just individuals but Society at
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large if everyone's racing to buy more
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we're putting tremendous pressure on the
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environment we're also normalizing a
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pattern of life that values possessions
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connections gratitude could help us slow
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down cherish what we have and make more
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conscious choices but we need to push
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against the narrative influencers create
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and I think one solution is to diversify
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who we follow if your feed is filled
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build with influencers who always push
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products maybe follow people who
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encourage sustainable living minimalism
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or gratitude practices some creators
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focus on appreciating life's Simple
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Pleasures nature walks homemade crafts
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family dinners and don't tie happiness
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to buying new things we can also
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practice daily gratitude
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ourselves start each day by listing a
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few things you're thankful for this
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simple habit trains your mind to Value
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what you have rather than always looking
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for the next big purchase when you do
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see an influencer post you'll be more
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resistant to the impulse to think you
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need what they're selling and let's
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remember influencers lives aren't always
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as perfect as they appear many are under
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contract to promote certain
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products sometimes not even using them
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genuinely the images are staged the
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constant stream of must have is often
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just marketing keeping that in mind
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helps break the spell it's also worth
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noting that gratitude can bring us
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losting joy while the thrill of buying
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something new Fades quickly research
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shows that we adapt to new possessions
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and they become our new normal gratitude
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provides a more stable form of
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Happiness by being thankful we anchor
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ourselves in the present moment we
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recognize how fortunate we are to have
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shelter food loved ones and basic
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Comforts this contentment doesn't vanish
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like the novelty of a new Gadget imagine
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if more people embraced gratitude
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instead of chasing more we might see
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less stress less Financial strain and
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fewer feelings of inadequacy we could
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shift our values away from I need this
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to be happy to I already have so much to
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be grateful for influencers might change
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their tune if their audiences demand
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authenticity and balanced
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messages we have the power to choose who
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influences us not all influencers
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promote overc consumption some encourage
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reusing repairing and cherishing what
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you have by supporting them we send a
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market signal that we value contentment
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and balance over endless
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buying exactly we can reshape the
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conversation instead of blaming all
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influencers we can amplify those who
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spread mess mesages of gratitude and
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mindful living over time this could
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create a healthier online culture where
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happiness isn't sold in a package so if
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you ever feel the pull to buy more just
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because an influencer said so pause ask
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yourself am I really lacking this or am
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I being made to feel that way remind
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yourself of what you already own and how
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it serves you chances are you'll see
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you're doing just fine and if you catch
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yourself longing for something you can't
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afford or don't genuinely need try a
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gratitude exercise think about what you
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have a functioning phone clothes that
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keep you warm a Cozy home friends you
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can talk to that's a lot to be thankful
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for in the end the biggest lesson is
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that happiness comes from appreciating
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what we already have not from the
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endless pursuit of more don't let social
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media influencers convince you otherwise
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their job is often to make you buy but
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you can choose to find joy in simpler
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things thanks for tuning in everyone we
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hope this discussion helps you see
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through the veneer of NeverEnding
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consumption online stay grateful stay
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content and join us next time on the
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English dialogue podcast
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