Have to Haves

The world has to keep turning. Our planet has to have a sun for life to exist. The human brain has to have oxygen. People have to have access to clean drinking water. Babies have to be fed. We all need to love and be loved.

A film shoot for a TV ad does not have to lock off a busy double carriageway during rush hour traffic in order to put a camera crew in the middle of the road.

It is so easy in our hectic, over-stimulated modern lives to get our priorities mixed up. And it is exceptionally difficult to maintain balance and stay focussed when you work in an industry as surreal and self-obsessed as advertising.

For a while now I've been attempting to de-clutter my life, and I'm discovering that it has more to do with a state of mind than material possessions. To gain true happiness in life we need to return to basics. We need to get our priorities straight.

Yes, earning an income is important for survival in the urban jungle. But for our sanity, and the health of our souls, we need to put that income and how we earn it in it's rightful place. If you work as a nurse or a paramedic, a fireman or a police officer, or even a teacher, then what you do to earn that income might possibly take precedence over common sense, consideration of others, and over your loved ones. Might.

For me, I'm slowly learning to put my priorities back where they belong. Front and centre on my family and friends, and on my own soul's health. And so I'm compiling a list of the true 'have to haves' in life. Those things that we need to stay focussed on and put ahead of every other consideration.

What do you consider a 'have to have'? Do you feel your priorities are well balanced, or influenced by the demands others place on you? I'd love to know what you think - please share your thoughts in the comments section below.