STOP BUYING STUFF YOU DON'T NEED

Simple living is something I’m passionate about as it resonates in such a deep place for me. Unfortunately, my desire to live a more minimalist life is challenged by my troubling desire to buy stuff.  Until recently,  I had been working 60 to 70 hours per week. I literally did not step inside a mall for more than eight months.  The last thing on my mind was spending money, so much so that I didn’t bother banking my salary cheques until one had almost expired (much to my husbands astonishment).  It was not about the money. I was driven by my desire to succeed.  All that being said; I have recently resigned from my high stress job and I’ve had quite a bit of extra time on my hands.  I have gone from spending nothing to wanting to buy every shiny thing I see.  I know this is in direct correlation with my sense of purpose.  I need to feel useful, so I create needs that can only be satisfied (at least in my mind) by spending money.  You would be amazed at how important buying new place-mats becomes when you don’t have a lot to do.  It is instant gratification!  It also seems more justifiable if it is for the household or someone else.  If I personally have nothing to show for my spending, and I did not benefit from it directly, then I can hardly be selfish by spending our hard earned cash.

Unfortunately, when we use stuff to fill a deeper need in our life, it does not matter if you have a little or a lot of money, you cheat yourself out of the opportunity to take care of yourself in a loving and nurturing way.  When you use stuff, it has the opposite effect, it is so inadequate in providing us with fulfillment that it creates more unhappiness, which perpetuates the behavior driving us into a bigger hole.  Slowly becoming divorced from the idea that you are capable of giving yourself what you need. You become dependent on the stuff.  While I’m not quite there yet, I have been in the past.  I  don’t want to be in that place again.  It is so far removed from who I am and what I want or need for that matter.

In December we took our 3.5 yr old son to Disneyland in Paris and the day we were leaving, I asked him what he enjoyed most about Disneyland. He took a moment to think about it and then responded with “jumping in puddles”.  On my quest for simplicity,  I can only hope that I enjoy jumping in puddles again.  Like me you might like to take a moment over the next week and just ask yourself “why am I buying this?”, “do I need this?”, “is there an alternative way to meet this need?”  You may be amazed by the answers.