American culture has fallen prey to the hustle and bustle. The drive to get ahead has forced wives and mothers into the workforce. Sometimes it’s not the drive to get ahead, but the struggle to stay afloat. Sometimes in the mix, you have the shame of not keeping up with friends, on toys, on the latest gadgets, etc. The pretense of appearing equal to or better than their peers brings the need to earn more and acquire more.
This struggle to get ahead presents a series of problems:
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Mothers are losing motherhood skills. These skills have been left to caregivers and teachers. There is less awareness of what is influencing children. When the mother stays at home to raise the children, she is the emotional stabilizer of the home and the main influence. Without that secure stabilizer, children can grow up unable to cope with life’s lessons, eventually resulting in a dysfunctional generation. The time that teachers and caregivers have is generally spent dealing with acceptable social behavior, with little time or capacity allotted to them to deal with hidden one-on-one problems a child may be facing. When there are hidden or obvious emotional problems for a child, counseling is often recommended. All of these are extra expenses.
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The quality of the meals has been left to the discretion of a restaurant or the prepared food industry. There is little time to see what exactly these foods contain, how they are processed, and what chemicals are added to them in their production. If we take the time to verify, many times we do not understand what the ingredients are or how they affect the body. Americans are sicker now than ever. We may live longer, but we are often sicker longer, too. What goes into the body is largely attributed to overall health and well-being.
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Stress is at an all-time high. In order to allow our children to experience opportunities in sports and develop a complete and well-rounded childhood experience, the schedules are packed with additional activities. It’s getting harder and harder to find downtime.
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To solve all of these health problems that eventually arise from this type of lifestyle, we are increasingly relying on prescriptions to mask the symptoms. Many prescription drugs are unhealthy and create side effects that need to be alleviated with more prescription drugs that again have side effects that require more prescription drugs … It’s a never-ending cycle.
Personal responsibility for the life we actually live falls on our own lap. All of these issues listed above have a consistent underlying thread that ties them together: that of our own personal decisions and how they will play out in the end. Some of these decisions are tough, made only when we look beyond the immediate and focus on long-term results, and then choose to make the necessary sacrifices.
We Americans wonder why we don’t sleep well. We are stressed, exhausted and sick. You can get the best mattress, have the bed pillows, the perfect bedding sets, the best environment, and all the aids, but never get a good night’s sleep. We know that without a good night’s sleep, we are less productive the next day. But seriously, take a deeper look at it. If you want a restful night’s sleep, consider your lifestyle. It’s not just about how many hours you sleep.