I'll bet you've never actually seen him? He is EVERYWHERE. He hides behind glossy brochures, brightly lit shop fronts and interest-free credit signs. He's in your inbox and social feed. He's on the radio and TV, on billboards and bus stops, the side of lorries, buses, and cars. He even comes through your door with the post.
He delights your senses with smiling faces, sunshine and shiny new things. He shows low amounts and tiny small print to hit your mathematical brain with 'Bargain' and 'Affordable'. He gives you free alarm clocks, days out and points for just spending.
Don't try to escape, it's futile. He'll tug at your purse strings until you give in! He has to pay his shareholders and he won't relent. He'll convince you to live beyond your means. He knows all your weaknesses and will always help you feel better. He'll convince you everyone else is doing it. You don't even realise what happened until it's too late.
He's on your mind whenever you want to buy something. He doesn't care you lay in bed worrying about giving him lots of your hard-earned cash. He never loses a wink of sleep.
He sleeps soundly every night on a mountain of cash.
For he knows over 50% of the country cannot afford their lifestyle. He knows they need to give their spending gene a regular cuddle and he can give it to them so, so easily.
He smiles as he says, 'Don't worry, let me help you with that bill, I'll take care of that.'
Like a pusher of drugs, he knows he only has to give you your first fix. From then on you're living in the 'Payback Zone', going to work just to pay your corporate dealer. He works for all the companies in the world with an annual £1.5 trillion marketing and advertising budget focused entirely on your emotional senses.
You're not weak.
We weren't designed to fight against this kind of enemy.
We aren't taught in school how to defeat it.
He has the upper hand right from the start. He is what makes our world go around. He is the totally legal 'Pusher of Dreams.'
Sounds like a pretty scary dude? But you can beat him and cut him out of your life. See him for what he really is. You don't want to feed him any more, he's had enough of your cash already. You can do without him. You know you can.
To start with, you will see him everywhere. Like a drug addict going cold turkey, you'll miss him for a while. But over time, you'll get used to not seeing him every day, every week, every payday, every holiday and Christmas. Then one day, in the future, you'll realise that you never actually needed him.
You needed him to get off your back and stop whispering to you: 'You need that', 'You can't live without that', 'Everyone will think so much more of you if you have that.'
Don't worry, you can't offend him, he won't be upset if you leave him. You're not friends! Watch how good a friend he is if you can't afford to pay him back. You always were and always will be, just another cash dispenser to him.
He knows there will always be a new generation of young people he can tap on the shoulder and give their first fix. Tempt them with the glossy brochure, gold-trimmed credit card and smiling young faces with shiny new things. Hitting their mathematical brain with 'Bargain' and 'Affordable'. He knows they can't resist after that first hit of easy money.
Another cash dispenser is born.
Stealer of sleep, the pilferer of your pounds, the keeper of your karma.
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