I begin to sort through my recent purchases from American Eagle, subconsciously expecting a wave of contentment to pass over me—as if these items will fill the void where happiness belongs. The goods have the ability to distract me for a while, but only until I find something else that I want. Well, as I have come to realize, the wanting never stops. There will always be something out there that I do not have. Oftentimes in my life, I have found myself caught up in our materialistic world. But as I have grown up and matured, I am beginning to understand that material items can only provide temporary pleasure.
Throughout my life, I have found that the gifts that make me the happiest are the ones that cannot be purchased. Reliable relationships, unwavering faith and my ever-growing knowledge emerge as elements of my life that no amount of money could ever replace. These emotional connections and genuine memories have the ability to yield a lifetime of joy, while material goods can only supply a short-lived high. As I commonly find myself in a society obsessed with wealth, I aspire to be rich in other ways — rich in love, rich in faith and rich in knowledge. The value of my well-being is far more important to me than the value of my wardrobe. I have progressed to the point in my life where I have finally recognized that it does not matter what I have — what matters is who I am. My worth is not measured by the value of my belongings, but by the values that I hold in my heart. This, I believe.