Okay, back to back to Paul Hawken, he continues. In the Buddhist canon, there are six mind states or realms, one of which is called the Hungry Ghost, depicted as a craven figure with a protuberant stomach, and a long pencil neck, a meandering Rafe, unable to satisfy its insatiable desires. In this realm, attempts to avoid pain by seeking satisfaction cause more pain for oneself and others. It's a useful metaphor, reminding us of the compulsive shopper, the sports addict, the speculator, the megalithic global corporation, hooking poor children around the world, on fast food and hip hop. I don't know about hip hop, I kind of like it, myself. But the The important point here is that our constant attempts to fulfill our cravings, or search for happiness, through consumption of things, only causes suffering, both on an individual and a collective level. The problem that we encounter over and over again, is that getting new, more and better stuff only brings us temporary joy or satisfaction. And if we're constantly then looking for the next thing, to make us happy, we're putting a bandaid on that unease that we're feeling by getting some stuff, we end up in this cycle of working and spending and chronic craving and dissatisfaction. In psychology, there's this concept I came across called the hedonic treadmill. After acquiring some kind of new possession or something, some highly having some highly anticipated experience, even we initially get this boost of energy, it's a it's a jolt of dopamine. But then our level of happiness returns to what it was before. You might think how you felt initially, when you got a new phone, or a new car, if you can afford those things. On the one hand, you're moving up in the world, because you've got this thing, this new thing, yet the dopamine fades. And Emotionally, it feels like we're right back where we were. And the only thing we can do, at least that's this is how we're conditioned is to seek out the next thing. Get the another jolt, and then the next. And then the cycle continues. And it's really amazing how much emotional and mental energy can be conflicted focused on trying to get what we want. So in the process, you know, we're trying to satisfy our cravings and equally avoid our aversions. In the process of that there's this whirlwind of thoughts that we have to confront. It's real, and it's related to habits of mind. And as I said, it seems to be amplified during the holidays. You know, unconsciously there is this expectation that we're going to boost get this boost, when we buy things, we might be tempted to take advantage of all those holiday sales and buy stuff for ourselves. Then we can really get what we want, rather than relying on somebody else to get it for us. But it's also also in the context of giving and receiving gifts. Receiving Gifts, brings us pleasure. It's enjoyable, and especially when we get what we want. And giving gifts also is pleasurable. We can put so much care and thought into getting just the right thing for someone. And again, there's this trail of thoughts how much should I spend? What if they spend more on me? That will be awkward. What if they don't like it? Will they like this? Ocean Breeze scented candle And what if you get that as a gift? Right? You receive it? How do you react? Do you love it? Do you pretend to love it? Do you express gratitude? Do you decline and say, Oh, I'm sorry, you know, it's not for me. I'm allergic to that. Do you just take it and store it away? And forget about it. Read gift, donate, pass it on. Recently, my husband Tom and I were having a conversation with some good friends about this, this very topic. And they shared the story of a few years back receiving this very expensive, very luxurious, down, goose down duvet a blanket from a close family member. And these friends of ours are very environmentally conscious. And they're they eat mostly a vegan diet. And upon opening the president, one of them said, something like this, do you even know who we are? Great, I can feel all warm and toasty now in my bed knowing that these geese have been tortured, you know, to make me comfortable. And he said that out loud. And yeah, he was being honest. On the one hand, you can say but on the other that that response, no doubt really hurt.