CONSUMERISM IS THE PERSONIFICATION OF GREED AND PEOPLE DON’T REALIZE THAT ONE CAN DIE FOR GREED JUST AS ONE CAN DIE FOR NATIONALISM. IT DRIVES A PERSON TO WORK TOO HARD, TO DESIRE MONEY AND TO CONSUME. ONE IS CONDITIONED TO THINK THAT WITHOUT CONSUMER GOODS ONE IS NOBODY. “I BUY, THEREFORE I AM” IS THE SLOGAN OF THE MODERN AGE. WE MUST UNDERSTAND CONSUMERISM AS A NEW DEMONIC RELIGION AND FIND A SPIRITUAL ALTERNATIVE.
~The Dalai Lama
I read this, saved it on Pinterest, and thought “oh, what a great quote of the day”. I tucked the quote into the back of my mind and started to think about my plans for the day. I went to my closet and thought, I have nothing to wear, so the spiral began. I got excited thinking about what I was going to purchase. I headed out of the house, and I have to stop at Starbucks because you can’t go to the mall without that, what would the other bored housewives think of me at the mall? I began to shop and the dopamine kicks in, flying high as I troll the sale racks, I purchase shirts and shoes and I am giddy. I head home and start to put my purchases in my closet, so my husband won’t notice them. Truly he could never notice anything in my closet, because I have so many clothes in there I could clothe a small army. I start to feel buyers remorse as I always do after a daily trip to the mall. I live 8 miles from a Tanger outlet. I start to think about the quote I read earlier in the day and I feel worse. The words are haunting and I realize I need help. I need to find a way to remove myself from this merry go round called consumerism.
Breaking free from Zombie consumerism is my first step into the lifestyle of minimalism. I have a few tips that have helped me on this journey.
- Clean up email, and social media! I went through my email, facebook, and instagram unsubscribing and removing all the advertising that would trigger a shopping response in me.
- Don’t be the Joneses! Do not keep up with the neighbors. Why would you want to be like everyone in your neighborhood? God made you unique, so embrace that! The average american family has 4 credit cards and $10,000.00 in debt so chances are your neighbors can’t afford their lifestyle. “Comparison is the thief of joy” ~Teddy Roosevelt
- Don’t make shopping an activity! On average, 7000 advertisements come at us every day, so it’s very hard to not fall victim to them. In 2017, shopping malls outnumbered high schools. Today, more teenage girls rank shopping as a favorite activity than ever before. Lets break this cycle.
- Experiences vs. things! Step back when making a purchase and think, is this adding value to my life? Will I have to maintain this product I just bought? Does it require storage, electricity, organizing, fixing, replacing or moving? Experiences don’t always have to be purchased, how about a walk in the local park, walking the dog, or just visiting a friend. Be creative!
- Gratitude! Be thankful, every day, for all you have. In 2016, the Census Bureau reported that 40.6 million Americans we’re living in poverty, and 550k we’re experiencing homelessness. If you slept in a bed last night and you are reading this on a phone, be grateful.
- Be generous! Practice generosity and it will help you to see how much you really do have, and help you realize that you really don’t need to fill your day with “things”. Donate to your church and favorite charity, pay it forward at the grocery store, put $10.00 (the cost of the average Starbucks visit) towards the person in line behind you, return a cart for elderly woman in a parking lot. Just be kind, you will find that it will fill your day with meaning and purpose.
- Stay focused! Focus everyday on overcoming the consumerism trap. I have a daily battle with this and it isn’t easy, but it’s very rewarding. Invest your energy into something that is going to contribute to your personal growth, not the growth of your junk drawer.
Minimalism is a way of life that opens our hearts to living simply, not simply living.
Making of a Minimalist 