Every time when I watch TV, I see commercials about drugs, debt and diet. I would say that the majority of commercials are dedicated to these things. These issues have become very important in today's life. But are these issues so big that people have problems handling them?
"An apple a day keeps the doctor away."
Generally, Americans are very drug addicted. For instance, if some American is tired or stressed, he or she takes a drug against tiredness or stress instead of going to sleep or having a rest. How good of a decision do you think that is? Do you think that taking a drug has only pros? Of course not! You must know that if one drug helps to cure one problem, from the other side it causes another problem. I think that drugs are an actual problem in the United States. The funniest thing is that one of the commercials says: "If your kid has an attention disorder problem, he or she has to take this drug." If one thinks about it properly, this commercial makes no sense. You are talking first about a kid, not an adult. A child's brain doesn't develop in the same manner as an adult's brain. Kids grow and so do the capacity and abilities of their brains. That's why I don't think that taking drugs is always a good decision.
"Money can't buy happiness."
Debt, debt, debt... Every time I see this word, I get kind of upset. One must know to "never let yourself be the victim of money, let the money be your victim." I would say that most people are perfectionists. Some people even take a debt to buy a new car. Why do you want to drive a brand-new luxury car? Think! There are always alternatives. You can buy a used car or a low price car, or you can use public transportation. This is how you begin to save money. Also, Americans like to spend more than they earn. To tell the truth, if those companies didn't believe that they couldn't attract people by offering a debt, they would just never think of the term called a "debt". As we see these people were able to persuade some people to take debt from them and make them fall to the "net" of problems.
"Too much of anything is a bad thing."
What about diet? Is this issue so problematic that some people decide to buy equipment to exercise? Let me tell you something: If you want to stay in shape, just eat healthful food every day. Don't eat meat every day; just try to practice self-control. Is it that hard? Is this harder than paying so much money you earn by working day and night for exercise equipment and drugs? It is not even worth it. Every person has to walk twenty minutes every day. Can somebody tell me if the majority of American people walk even half of that? Of course not! Also, when I mean, healthy food, I mean fruits and vegetables, not unhealthy fast food or those sodas that are very harmful to one's body.
In conclusion, I want to say that every person must have the ability to have self-control. If you have health problems, try to solve them in a natural manner. Try to have frequent rest, play sports, take a trip to places of interest in order to think about beautiful things other than your work. Work is always available for you, but what about spending more time in nature, where one can't be feeling morally tired?
Taking debt is not always the best decision. Maybe it is very crucial for you in the short run, but in the long run it can be a very serious problem. One must know that strategic decisions must be made for a long run.
Try to live a healthy life. I am not suggesting you become a vegetarian or go on a diet, but the most important point here is how you can keep yourself in good shape.
Emin Teymurovsky is a master's student in Kogod School of Business.
