Being a Creator in a Consumerist World
There is a phenomenon in the world of business and in life that you are probably being influenced by without your knowledge. It’s called: BEING a consumer.
So, what is a consumer? The dictionary defines it as 1. A person who buys and uses up goods and 2. A living thing that must eat other organisms to obtain the energy necessary for life.
These definitions accurately depict what gets embodied when we take on the “being” of a consumer. In other words, when we take on the thoughts, actions, attitudes, and expectations that a consumer would take on.
Being a Consumer: What it Looks Like
When we are unconsciously put into the role of a consumer, we adopt attitudes that may not align with our highest selves: “I have the right to complain,” or “It is my job to get a lower price,” or “I should be catered to,” etc. I’m sure you’ve been there before when you were on the phone with your cable company, cell phone provider, or a major airline.
In the world of “being a consumer”, you are supposed to be borrowers and be in debt. If you register for a business conference, notice how often you will be participating in a mode of “Is this relevant/valuable for me?” and “What am I getting?”
If you go to a networking meeting, aren’t you very frequently there in a mindset of consuming? You are most likely asking yourself, “What’s in it for me?” or “What can I get out of this?”
The phenomenon of being a consumer also includes the other side of the coin: “being a vendor or provider,” and with that perspective, you also inherit concepts such as “the customer is always right” and everything that goes with that.
This perspective creates a transactional world where you are either demanding what is due to you, or you are being demanded of. In this world, there is no fertile soil for partnership, creativity, and collaboration. There is not much room for human dignity or fulfillment.
The Linguistic Opportunity
Ultimately, the phenomenon of “being a consumer” is a linguistic one – i.e., it exists in language. It was created in language and continues to be maintained in language. It is a conversation that you participate in when you are thinking, feeling, and acting consistently with “being a consumer.” You did not choose this or create this – you inherited it from your culture, your environment, and the forcefield of business. Think about how much the business world is saturated with these concepts as if they are inherent truth.
If you let yourself live as a consumer, you will relate to others as consumers, and that leads to living in a transactional world. In this transactional world, your offers are primarily designed around price and features. This is an impersonal and dissatisfying way to operate.
Being a Contributor
There is another way. Instead of being a consumer, you can take on being a contributor.
So, what is a contributor? A person who contributes something in order to provide or achieve something together with other people.
If you take on being a contributor, you would be asking yourself “How do I provide value here?” “What can I contribute?” “What do I have to give or provide?”
This subtle shift in perspective creates a much different conversation and a much different way of BEING.
You can’t be a consumer and at the same time be part of a Network of Contribution. (What we call a network of people who enable professionals and businesspeople to Live True and fulfill their ambitions and intentions.)
Choosing to BE a contributor is a new way of BEING in the world of business that opens up entirely new opportunities for collaboration and partnership. It allows one to choose to be a creator, designer, and inventor of compelling offers, conversations, and narratives.
The next time you are attending a conference, entering into a business relationship, or even making a purchase – ask yourself: how can I BE a contributor here? I believe you will find this perspective much more satisfying, life-giving, and fulfilling.