Dear 'Berry',

My question is simple and it's more of a personal thing.

I'm a gadget person at heart, and lately I've been spending quite a bit of money on various items, like BlackBerry's & PlayStation 3, to name a few. But with all the killing and hunger going on in the world, am I wrong to be spending in excess of $450 on a device that is used to speak with someone, browse the internet, send text messages or, on the odd occasion play games?

Sometimes my heart is torn about this. We do live in such a cruel world with the exception of certain people...

I just want to make sure am not losing my way here; in this thing we call life...
 
~ Wondering about being Shallow

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Dear “Wondering”,

Yes, it is true that our world is a very sad and scary place in many
regards. So many people are struggling and need help. So much cruelty. I
think itÂ’s very important to strive for balance. ItÂ’s important that you
follow your own passions while respecting the people and world around you.

Enjoy your gadgets. Stay connected to the people who are close to you and
you respect. Play your PS3 and have fun with it. However, I would recommend
doing what you can to help those around you who arenÂ’t as fortunate. First
of all, stay informed with the world news around you. Volunteer your time to
a cause you find worthwhile. Possibly tutor a child one time/week using your
skills from your gadgets. If you donÂ’t have any time to spare (at different
times in our lives we have more or less available time), donate money to
causes that you find worthwhile. Use your gadget to correspond with our
brave soldiers – send email. Make certain to set aside something for charity
every month and if money is tight then donate your old gadgets. Computers to
schools, cell phones to abused womenÂ’s shelters, game consoles to a favorite
child or childÂ’s organization who couldnÂ’t possibly afford something so
wonderful. Also, at Christmas, there are “Letters to Santa” where children
in need write letters to Santa and you buy them what they need or want (they
ask for very basic toys/clothes). Respond to one of those.

In other words, being a gadget addict doesnÂ’t determine whether or not you
are shallow or not helpful in the world. If it wasnÂ’t using gadgets for
shallow individuals, it would be something else. It'Â’s not the passion for
gadgets or how we use them that makes people shallow. Those people are
shallow in all of the different areas of their life. ItÂ’'s how we treat
others and treat the world around us that determines if we are shallow or
not. Just the fact that youÂ’re wondering and asking the question is an
indication that you arenÂ’t one of the shallow people and have definitely not
lost your way. Look within and use your passion to help make the world a
better place (even if itÂ’s in a very small way). Every little bit helps!

Best of luck,

Berry

Contact me with your questions!
DearBerry @ CrackBerry.com