The Dangers of Materialism: My Journey from Luxury to Loss

My things were no longer “mine.”

They were “Me.”

Significant difference and a dangerous distinction.

My job, my Panerai watches, my BMW convertible, my multiple homes, and exquisite dining experiences with outrageous wine, my sheer purchasing power (an unlimited Amex Platinum card).

These were my identity. These were WHO I was.

My work performance was decreasing, and the products I was selling were increasingly becoming commodities — the margins were shrinking.

Which meant smaller and smaller paychecks.

Lower paychecks, therefore, threatened my very existence.

Who I was was being threatened. Who am I without my things?

I was too scared to find out. I was too afraid to be seen as “less than.”

I was too afraid to admit things I needed to admit.

I wasn’t as successful as I once was and couldn’t afford the lifestyle I had created.

That I wasn’t the man I had presented to my wife.

My life was a house of cards in a windstorm, and I desperately tried to keep it standing.