commercial success?

So tonight I sat in front of the TV, sprawled out on my couch with my comfy clothes on and my fruit smoothie (New Year's plan to eat well...) in hand. I've been trying to be attentive lately of the influencers in my life, and making a conscious effort to renounce ill holds on me. So today I paid attention to what was on my tv...more specifically, I paid attention to what tv was trying to sell me.

Here's a rundown of the commercials that vied for my attention in the order they appeared:

1. An advertisement for a show based on the premise where a model is killed in an accident then is reincarnated into the body of a size 16 girl. She awakes in the hospital says "why do I feel bloated?" and then screams when she realizes her body size.
2. ET Canada promoting 'the good, the bad and the ugly' upcoming edition of Survivor. Mary Hart chimes in with the lead to their next show "dramatic weight loss, people who are half their previous size".
3. An ad depicting a happy family of mother, daughter and grandma on a roadtrip singing happy songs until the grandmother changes the radio station. She's then kicked out of the car and left at the side of the road while they have a new grandma join the family in the car. The tagline is "try out a few different moms and get all the mothering you need this cold and flu season".
4. Movie ad about a father enlisting the help of a scientist to develop a cure for his sick daughter. The tagline "don't hope for a miracle, make one".
5. An advertisement for nutella promoted by a mom telling me that she feels good starting her kids day with nutella as part of a nutritious breakfast. Then they tell me to "spread some energy"
6. A yard gnome sitting on the couch in the winter staring at a tv image of a beach humming to himself that "I need to get out of here". The promoters tell me that this travel company is the "cure for cabin fever."
7. Wendy's sweet and spicey boneless chicken advertised with the tagline "you know when it's real"
8. A man laying in a pile of debris, exclaiming to his dog their lives were saved by a miracle, a man sitting beside him is holding a plate of brocolli and tells him the real miracle is all the nutrients packed into a head of brocolli. Tagline: the miracle food.
9. TV network telling me they are on twitter so now I can get the latest information and gossip on the stars.
10. Meteorologist warning me about snow in Toronto.

Now I'm going to be honest, I am a professionally trained public relations practitioner with experience working with not-for-profits, government and church organizations. And maybe that's why I pay attention to the commercials, to the product they are trying to sell me.

Most times, it's not the product they are selling ~ it's the feeling: acceptance, security, confidence, (instant) gratification, uniqueness, preparedness, self-worth, notoriety, praise. Very alluring, very appealing to our fragile egos (including mine).

And it works. We feel so desperate to get our fix, to get something that will make us feel at peace. We are hungry.

And the good news - there is fruit that can satisfy our hunger. The fruit of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

These are the influences that I am searching for, these are the ones I want to buy into. These fruits cannot be grown on an organic farm, priced on the shelf, or wrapped up in an organza bow. But they can be harvested in my heart, from the seeds of the Creator himself.

And that's something I can buy into.

With my life.