Seasons of Self-Identity and Consumer Behavior: Joy, Grief, Growth, and Healing

We are certainly not oblivious of the vast array influences of the stuffs we consume, and
their quality of defining our sense of self is indeed indisputable. The constitutional source of our
survival and longevity extensively base on how we address our needs as a living thing and as a
consumer notwithstanding the mere fact that we are also drowning ourselves with the things
that are merely out of our desires of honor, acceptance, idealism, tranquility, social contact,
and curiosity which even sometimes degrade our own necessity. The way we spend for things
allows us to indulge a quality living at our own terms and will, but sometimes, this may also
make us cry out for the means to provide for oneself. These things in other term, are the
consumer cultures that play vital roles on reflecting and shaping ourselves that even I was
greatly influenced on flourishing my own sense of self.
Routinely and logically, what I want and what I need is what I buy, what I buy is what I
use, and what I use is what reflects my own style of living, creating numerous self-impressions
that have built over time encompassing my physical attributes, personal qualities, traits,
preferences, and identity. My consuming habit as a part of consumer culture is like a leaf, it
changes colors with the seasons. Seasons of joy, grief, growth, and healing determine and
dictate what specific things are deemed to be bought and used by me, and with each season my
sense of self also adapts and changes colors accordingly. To enlighten this notion, seasons of joy
are those times where I found myself seeking for some happiness wherein myself just tended to
buy the things that make me happy. This includes purchasing in game currency like ML
diamonds, VIP privileges, treating myself some sweets and quality clothes, spoiling this life with
some fancy travels, road trips with the night sky chandelier and more. Like I’m just enjoying
what this short life can offer and this immensely shape my characteristics in a way that I
became more open to diverse and unique things around me, I became more into being an
adventurous guy, the one who can conquer sadness with a thrill and the like. With these total
contentment and major happiness, most of the people’s impression towards me is that of being
a blissful man who is at peace, and that is what I love the most about it. Nevertheless, the
season of grief indeed remains questionable. I have these moments where I was delighted and
untroubled, but then anxiety will just suddenly ruin the mood and my buying preferences were
singularly infelicitous. And this is certainly regrettable in a way that I’m not aware of the things
that I was spending for, like buying lots of foods that I’m actually not fond of, squandering in
the market and availing wasteful things just to go along with grievances. It may have a point
but, doubtless, it is still pointless. The sense of self that I develop with that is being
uneconomical and philanthropic, not seemingly taking the route of frugality. Further, the third
one which is the season of growth is the combination of the first and second season wherein
sometimes demonstrating a commitment to personal growth through training and
development is enjoyable but in some cases I find it back-breaking and so demanding that often
makes me feel grief over this life’s challenges. Little do people know, my passion revolves
around having artistic pursuit because I vastly love arts although I’m not good at it and that’s
why I really want to grow and excel in this certain area. Materialistic is the first step of course,
arts do not just envelope critical mind and imagination since executing those into physical
forms requires various material things like pencil, canvas, coloring materials, and crafting tools
and equipment. Legitimately, I used to spend for these things especially on my high school
years but now that I haven’t yet saved up due to this pandemic, I can now barely afford them
but I’m still looking forward to see myself as a well-grown man having attained a satisfactory
growth or development in the field of arts. Lastly, the season of healing, which brought a
revolution to my sense of self as per the role of consumer culture but also imposes a life-saving
power. When I was a child, the characteristics that define me are more of looking tired, droopy
eyelids, skinny body, and a breakdown in my personality structure that results in poor personal
and social adjustments solely because I had asthma, I had a very weak immune system, and I
felt dying for almost every single week, while consecutively praying to God to give me his
healing. But then on my second year in high school, I almost died but luckily my parents had
sent me to the hospital as fast as possible, it’s a huge mystery that there was a good traffic, low
bounce rates, good conversion rates, and was not filled with spam. I was a registered bed-
patient in the hospital for almost a week and after that, I felt so well and buying medicines and
other health-beneficial stuffs became my weekly routine. Spending for those things
tremendously changed my personal attributes, positively improved my immune system, and
most of all, I was freed from asthma and since then, I had never been attacked by asthmatic
symptoms, I was able to roam around and enjoy this life like a normal kid. I was so thankful to
God for providing me with a perfect healing and guiding me to buy the right medicines that suit
my health condition best.
The leaf turns to have a very complex cycle based on the different seasons of life. The
way a leaf invest for its good is just like the way I value consumerism as the consumer culture
plays vital roles in my sense of self. A leaf who’s lacking from the acquisition of water and
sunlight is probably parched and wilted as to describe it’s characteristics, lonely and tired as for
its personality and pitiful or poor when we talk about its quality, just like a man who is deprived
of his needs since he cannot afford it can result to a downside definition of his sense of self. Our
buying behavior also reflects our own image of self and that’s why we must take advantage of
the role of the consumer culture on building a stronger sense of self.