Beth's Ponderings
I recently read
about a gal who decided to go on a year-long shopping ban, and at the same
time, she purged 70% of her belongings.
Now, she freely
admitted that she was completely caught up in consumerism, but the big thing
that she noticed when she did this personal experiment was that she had a house
full of stuff for who she thought she “should” be, not who she really was.
She had bookshelves
bursting with the type of books she thought she “should” read to be seen as
intelligent. She had a closet stuffed
full of clothes that she thought she “should” wear to be recognized as
competent and professional. She had
cupboards, and a fridge, crammed with food items that she thought she “should” be
eating because all the diet books told her to eat those foods. She had piles and piles of unopened boxes
containing supplies and equipment for hobbies she thought she “should” be doing
to make herself a better person.
Yet, none of these
items that she thought she “should” own were used or appreciated, because she
didn’t like them, or even really want them.
And, because her house was so full of these items, she was constantly
reminded that she wasn’t who she thought she “should” be, so she was always
feeling intense stress, which affected her health on all levels.
Once she got rid of
it all, and started accepting she was who she was - reading what she enjoyed
reading, wearing what she felt comfortable and at ease in, eating what made her
feel healthy, and revisiting the hobbies from her past that she actually
enjoyed doing - she discovered that she was much happier, healthier, and less
stressed all around.
I’d like to clarify
a point here. The author didn’t
accumulate all the stuff in her house in an effort to be the person SHE “wanted”
to be, but to be who she thought OTHERS wanted her to be.
So, how much of
your “stuff” reflects who you really are, and how much of it reflects who you
think you “should” be?
Once you know that,
buying something new to create a better version of yourself, for yourself, not
others, won’t bring stress and guilt, but joy.
Beth
Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://sites.google.com/site/thechautauqua24/home/April%206%2C%202018%20Chautauqua.pdf?attredirects=0&d=1
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