Ever get sucked in to the bins when you enter a Target? Nothing sold there ever really improved someone’s life, but the bins are usually full of colorful and cheaper stuff than the thing you originally came to Target for, and it seems so FUN to get a new throw pillow or some bubbles or a cup that advertises your Cat Mom status.
Do you ever ask yourself why you want another dumb cup, though?
When you see something you want, if you will ask yourself why you want it, you may find out more ways to helping yourself grow.
Do I want this to fit in?
Is it to make myself feel better?
Is it to fill some sort of void?
Most of the time the things that we buy won’t solve any of these problems.
Capitalism thrives on bad feelings. Discontented people buy more stuff — an insight the old American trade magazine ‘Printers’ Ink’ stated bluntly in 1930: ‘Satisfied customers are not as profitable as discontented ones.’ ~Astra Taylor
Get a new set of tiny markers if you want. And, next time you buy something, especially if it was unplanned, go ahead and use this great opportunity to practice a new skill. Ask yourself: what is driving my desire? What feelings am I experiencing? Is there anything else that might fulfill this urge?
This new skill is part of working on our ability to be okay with the size and shape of body that we live inside. As we reduce our knee jerk purchasing, we have an opportunity to notice what is going on inside- rather than buying something new to distract us from dissatisfaction.
Getting something new always feels more exciting than using something we already have. Have you noticed this?
Here is another skill you can use, too though: You have the capacity to honor and enjoy the things you already have! Did you realize this? You can take pride in the dish washing scrubber that you already own, even if you got it weeks ago. You can appreciate the smell of your soap, the suds your shampoo creates, and the softness of your bath towel every time you take a shower, without any of those things being brand new. Appreciating what we have comes naturally the more present-minded we are. Focusing on what we are doing in the moment allows us to enjoy the massage on our gums, the minty taste in our mouth, and the cool water as we rinse- just to use tooth brushing as another daily example to practice using this skill. Studies show that life is more enjoyable when we are completely focused on what we are doing and the sensations we are experiencing in the moment. Breathing exercises and meditation, like we begin and end our body image groups with, help us get in the habit of being in the here-and-now, rather than our minds being elsewhere while we do whatever we are doing.
And this is all before we begin to look at the marketing campaigns that are used to encourage our spending. Not only do advertisers know that consumers buy things to feel better: if a company makes us feel bad about how we look and provides the “solution” with a product to make us look different, you will likely give them your money. Next week’s post will continue our look at what Quinta Brunson calls “MAC”: Materialism, advertising, and consumerism.
MAC releases a toxic energy that infects the brains of strong but vulnerable people. It can take a confident person and boil them in self-doubt. It corrodes their common sense and decision-making skills, telling them they need to buy more to feel better. ~Quinta Brunson, She Memes Well