Parking Lot Pride

Have you ever driven by a parking lot of a business, restaurant, or house and just taken a look at the cars parked there? Do you make any snap judgments based on what you see? Today, I am going to talk about something I like to call “Parking Lot Pride.” We all like to have a vehicle that looks nice and feels nice to drive. Some of us even look for cars that make us feel safe and protected. Others look for economy and usefulness. And then there are some that are just glad to have a vehicle that runs in the first place. But, there is nothing like having that one vehicle in our garage that just states to the world how successful we are. It’s a possession that we take great pride in at times. We keep it well manicured and make sure we park it a safe distance from potential injury and we NEVER allow people to eat inside it.

When we were young, the majority of us were happy to have any vehicle that we could call our own when we turned 16. It didn’t matter if it was the latest model or in perfect condition. We were happy to have something that we could call our own and utilize whenever we wished without having to borrow from the parents or older siblings. Sure, there were some of us that were blessed with the opportunity to have better vehicles when we were younger, but for the most part, we had a collection of used cars in the high school parking lot. What changed from that point in time to where we end up in our adult lives? A car is a car. It’s a means of motivation and getting us from point A to point B. Why has there become so much emphasis placed on a possession?

The ideology behind placing such emphasis on a vehicle is behind the same issue surrounding the “need” of having a big house, the latest gadget, or the top of the line latest whatever. As the topic states, it comes down to pride. Our desires for other people to know we are successful come from placing pride in our possessions. We drive around in our luxurious vehicles when a cheaper, more practical vehicle would be more than we need. We live in our multi thousand square foot houses that have room after room filled with things we barely even use or remember we even own. We pack around gadget after electronic gadget that shows other people we are successful and never even harness the true power of them when we find a new, more successful replacement for them. Pride “makes” us want more. Pride “makes” us desire other people’s attention. Pride fills our lives with unnecessary expense and selfishness.

Let’s look back to the questions in the beginning of the article. I admit that I have driven by places and formed an opinion based upon the vehicles in parking lots. Yes, it’s not the greatest thing to do, but human nature leads us to stereotype people. Our rational minds correlate variables and we instantly make snap judgments. Right or wrong, we all do it. That doesn’t mean we have to live or abide by the snap judgment. Once the snap decision is made, it is then our choice to disregard it or believe it to be true. If we allow superficial snap judgments determine our interaction with others, we are limiting ourselves from many great experiences we could have undertaken.

Even still, not long ago, my wife and I were trying to pick out a restaurant to eat at. We were looking for a place to sit down at and enjoy a relaxing, nice meal. We drove by several places and ran across one we had never eaten at before. However, here’s where the “Parking Lot Pride” issue came into play. The parking lot was filled with “not so pretty” vehicles. Some were in dire shape and some were in a much neglected state. I determined that we should look for another because of how the parking lot looked. I know it wasn’t a shining moment for me. However, I’m sure we have all experienced situations like this. We allow certain “success” variables determine how we proceed in our lives.

That was one particular way to see the evidence of Parking Lot Pride. However, it’s also the other way around. You want people who view the parking lot or driveway your car is in and KNOW that you are successful. The story goes a little different than the one above. You are looking for a nice place to eat, you see a parking lot full of luxury vehicles and you make a snap judgment that it’s a very nice establishment. Let’s go there sweetheart. The food might be good, it might not. But hey, if “successful” people are eating there, it must be good! I would wager a nice amount of money that we have all experienced some of this parking lot pride in our lives.

How do we try and combat our habit of forming snap judgments based on these success variables? It can be done, but it takes a conscious effort to focus on changing our reaction to environmental stimulus and the “ways of the world.” When I say it can be done, I’m not saying that we can completely remove the judgment from occurring, but I am saying that we can choose to disregard it and react differently. Personal growth and change must allow for you to change your focus and then it’s up to you to follow through. That’s a good start on changing the effects of external pride issues. But how do we change our own internal desires to chase pride?

We can change our possession based decision making for one. If we stop trying to satisfy the need, or want, or desire to have the latest “success” cementing possession, we will be well on our way to removing “Parking Lot Pride” from our lives. What exactly is the luxury vehicle doing for you that a cheaper alternative doesn’t? What is the extra bedrooms and storage area doing for you when you have stuff in them that you never use? What is the point of having multiples of everything in your life when only one or two of an item would be more than enough? Having stuff makes us believe we are successful and it fills us with pride. We don’t need these things in our life to display to the world that we are successful. It is an easy way to show the world though isn’t it? It’s much harder to live your life where people determine if you are a success or not based upon how you live and what you give. We all take the easy way out and utilize the pride of our possessions to display to the world who we want them to think we are rather than just being who we are.

Save some money and stop buying stuff to satisfy your prideful nature. It can be done. Couple this with the article on “100 Item Living” and everyone’s personal life would be much fuller and less stressful. Do you have “Parking Lot Pride?” I can admit that I have some and I wish I didn’t, but I can choose to try and change. Will you choose to change?