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The Conversation That Sparked My Mission: How a Single Interview Helped Shape Overconsumption.org
There are moments that shift us — not dramatically, not loudly, but quietly and unmistakably. Moments that land deep enough to change direction, clarify intention, or uncover something we didn’t have language for before.
Before creating overconsumption.org, I experienced one of those moments.
It happened while listening to an interview with Rabbi Simon Jacobson on the Kosher Money podcast. I pressed play expecting an interesting perspective on finance. What I found instead was a philosophical, emotional, and spiritual reframing of money — and, indirectly, of purpose.
This conversation didn’t just give me ideas.
It centered me. It elevated me.
And it arrived exactly when I needed it most.
Money as Soul Energy: A Concept That Reframed Everything
One of the first things Rabbi Jacobson said was so simple and so profound that I had to pause the episode.
“Money is soul energy.”
Not just currency.
Not just transactions.
Not status.
But energy — the condensed form of our time, creativity, effort, sacrifice, and human potential.
If that’s true (and I believe it is), then money isn’t the goal.
It’s a vehicle.
And that means the mission behind the money matters more than the money itself.
For someone about to build a project focused on overconsumption, resource misuse, and the psychological traps of modern society, this perspective wasn’t just interesting —
it felt essential.
The Valley Between Self-Worth and Net Worth
Modern culture confuses two very different measurements:
Who you are
versus
What you own.
Rabbi Jacobson articulated this tension bluntly:
“Your self-worth is not defined by your net worth.”
We all know this.
Yet so few of us live as if it’s true.
In a world where overconsumption is marketed as self-care, where success is measured by accumulation, where identities are shaped by what we buy — this message is revolutionary.
Overconsumption doesn’t begin in the shopping cart.
It begins in the story we tell ourselves about what we lack.
And the interview reminded me:
Any project that aims to address overconsumption must first address the emotional and spiritual emptiness that fuels it.
Wealth as Responsibility, Not Possession
Another line from the interview shifted how I think about resources — not just money, but time, attention, and focus.
“God gives wealth as a trust, not ownership.”
According to Jacobson, money isn’t truly ours.
It’s entrusted to us with the expectation that we will use it well — to uplift, to build, to repair.
This resonated deeply as I was shaping the mission of overconsumption.org.
We don’t need more guilt around money.
We need more responsibility, clarity, alignment, and purpose.
And perhaps most importantly:
We need a healthier relationship with “more.”
**The Most Powerful Question:
“What Will You Build With It?”**
At one point, Rabbi Jacobson said something that felt like a direct challenge:
“If God gives you wealth, ask yourself what you will build with it.”
Not what you will buy.
Not how you will impress.
Not how you will comfort yourself.
But what you will create.
That line became a turning point.
I realized that overconsumption.org wasn’t just another project.
It wasn’t a blog, or a campaign, or a collection of ideas.
It had to be a framework for contribution — a place to explore how modern society became addicted to more, and how we can collectively move toward enough.
This website would not exist without that interview.
His words gave me the clarity to move forward.
The Dignity of Giving — Even When You Have Little
One more moment from the conversation continues to echo in my mind:
“Give even when you have little.”
This principle goes against the logic of a consumption-driven world.
But it aligns perfectly with something deeper:
that giving is not a matter of wealth — it is a matter of identity.
You become a different kind of person when you shift from accumulation to contribution.
You stop asking “What can I get?”
and start asking “What can I give?”
And in that shift, consumption naturally becomes self-regulated.
This is precisely the transformation we hope to inspire at overconsumption.org.
What This Interview Sparked in Me
Listening to Rabbi Jacobson felt like rediscovering something I had always known but never articulated:
- Money is a tool, not a master.
- Purpose must lead; resources must follow.
- Overconsumption is ultimately a spiritual problem with material symptoms.
- Change begins with reframing our relationship to “more.”
- And every mission needs roots deeper than profit.
The interview didn't give me new answers —
it gave me better questions.
Questions that became the foundation for this project.
Why This Matters for Overconsumption.org
This website is not about judging consumption.
It’s not about guilt, shame, or moral superiority.
It’s about understanding:
Why do we crave more than we need?
Why do we equate possessions with identity?
Why do we chase fulfillment in places it cannot be found?
Rabbi Jacobson’s words helped me see that the solution isn’t minimalism, nor frugality, nor financial discipline alone.
The solution is alignment.
A sense of purpose strong enough to quiet the noise of “more.”
In Gratitude
I’ll end with the line that stayed with me the most:
“Money should serve your soul — not the other way around.”
The moment I heard it, something shifted.
And from that shift,
overconsumption.org was born.