There is nothing wrong with attaining wealth. In fact, I believe money is the spiritual equivalent to freedom. Which is to say that money can allow us to do with our lives as the spirit or the moment moves us. There are a lot of wealthy people out there who are wonderful individuals. They care about the world, they give to charities and they don't expect to walk into a restaurant without having called firsthand and sit at the table that you took the time to reserve.

Having said that, America is plagued with the sickness of gluttony and it especially attacks those who attain wealth as though the more money you have, the more susceptible you are to this illness. What do I mean exactly that we are plagued with gluttony? Well, if you have children I can almost bet that with every new gadget that comes out, they come to you and with those beautiful puppy eyes ask or beg you to buy it for them. If you are a woman and I am guilty of this as well, though I intend to make changes; but I would bet half of my shoe collection that you have one as well. In fact, I am sure you can't even recall every pair you have right now. Just because I don't have an example for men, doesn't exclude them from becoming sick with this plague, this new plague that is eating our country from the inside out. And make no mistake, greed and insatiability will be the downfall of our country.  Our lust for bigger and better things will one day render owning a home out of the reach for most middle class families, it will cause the opportunity of attending college to slip from the hands of our children.  Our willingness to spend more and more will only teach CEO's and businesses that no amount of money is too unreasonable to charge. And so we are marching to the edge of the abyss loosing our homes, maxing out our credit cards and working hard to buy more as we simultaneously loose our health and our relationships as par for the course.

I cannot conceive of what importance would compel me to spend 20,000 a night to sleep on a bed with four lovely walls when I could sleep on a bed with four lovely walls for 1% of that cost. The only drive that would cause someone to spend what some make in a year for a hotel room has to be classified as so nonsensical as to be considered an illness. Some will try to make the argument of that behavior simply becoming part of a lifestyle. But what I would say to that, is that it is the other way around. A lifestyle has been made available to suit the spirit of greed. After all Warren Buffet one of the richest men in the world lives in the same house in central Dundee that he bought in 1958 for $31,500.  In addition as a CEO, in 2007 and 2008, he earned a total compensation of $175,000, which included a base salary of just $100,000.

So, what I am saying is this, just because I can afford to buy ten dinners when I am dining at a restaurant doesn't mean I should. In fact if you imagine this scenario of someone sitting at a dinner table with ten plates of scrumptious food, despite the appetizing nature of the food being consumed, just the thought of it would make some physically ill. Yes, this is how distasteful, irrational and greedy this behavior is. This example is no different than having five cars, let alone thirty five cars or more. This is no different than having a room sized closet for your clothes, and then another room sized closet for your shoes when there are some who haven't even a room.  How much do we need to finally say- okay, enough clothes for this year, enough cars for now?  How much does it take to satisfy us?  If you find yourself thinking that you may fit into this category, don't beat yourself up over it.  Just realize that this mindset has become part of our collective thinking and we need to, and can change it.

Here are some tips on how to live without excess:

• Discover who you are and focus your drive on becoming the best "You" possible.

• Don't look at others and compare yourself, instead, if you must compare, compare yourself to who you were last month, or last year and improve yourself based on your personal goals.

• Find a style that speaks to you and instead of the clothes defining you, allow your attire to be a creative expression. In this way you aren't driven to make purchases just because they have become popular.

• Clean out your closet every few years and give what you don't wear to charity.

• Look at less television or look at shows that feed your mind or spirit. Many of the programs on TV have values that promote and teach you to how to be unsatisfied with who you are or encourage you to become a professional consumer.

• Value saving money.

• Always remember that there are those who are starving and suffering through no fault of their own. Do this not to feel guilty, but to keep your desires in check. It's not the small stuff that really counts.

• Before you purchase a larger TV, newer car or a bigger house, ask yourself what is your motivation. Some of us have small TV's that make it hard to see certain things, some of us don't like to keep our cars passed 100,000 miles, some of us are expanding our families and need more space. If you don't fall into a category similar to these, maybe you have become chronically dissatisfied in some areas.

• Don't allow commercials to control your thinking, you're better than that.

• Value your inner self, your spirituality. Seek a character within that will fill you up from the inside out, instead of the other way around.

You see, when we are unable to find just living, sacred; when we are unable to glance up at the night sky and sense the awesome gift of life we've been given, we're missing something.  This state of chronic dissatisfaction and always wanting more is not a life style. This is a spiritual condition, and that condition speaks to a soul that is starved in some way. It is not balanced, you see. Having too much is not balanced. I am not suggesting that we only have enough to survive. Far be it from that, for I believe we are to have an abundance of all that we desire for ourselves and to share with others. But here's how it works, everyone should eat until they are no longer hungry, as an example. But it is physically and medically unhealthy to gorge oneself. And there are no if and or buts about what gorging means, for it simply points to an act of wanting something past the satisfied state. Yet here is my point exactly and my reason for saying that gluttony is the new plague. We as a country are buying and consuming goods beyond our satisfied state, because we have become insatiable.

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