Slow down. You move too fast. Stop, even. Feel the air on your skin. See the beauty before you. Listen to the sound of life happening. Taste the harvest of the earth.
You’re in such a rush to mark “to-dos” as done. What if you questioned your list in the first place? What is this moment really asking? By speeding through it, it is impossible to hear.
True, kids still need to be dropped off. Work continues to call your name. Socks don’t pick up themselves.
But even in the “have-tos” of life, there are choice points. Times to stay so present that this moment becomes enough - when despite what is happening, no distraction from the real is needed.
The cravings to indulge, whatever your flavour may be, root in discomfort with the now. Something about it isn’t quite satisfactory.
We twist and squirm from feelings by clicking, scrolling, swiping and charging. Stress, sadness, fear, anger or loneliness all temporarily subside, only to gasp again following the calming exhale of a new purchase.
You’ve been primed to consume. It’s not your fault, but it is your reality.
Our consumer-driven culture is an inconsolable child. There is no soothing her. She always wants more. With her rapacious appetite comes impulse buying, justification of overspending, and a societal acceptance of taking more than our fair share.
Rather than sidetrack yourself with the next shiny new, or simply new-to-you distraction, what if you slowed down and got curious?
Who is in the driver’s seat of your life? Is it craving? A feeling being suppressed? An effective advertisement playing you like a puppet? Or a true need?
You’re not alone in your struggle. Corporate media snakes its messaging into our consciousness, driving us to consume, tricking us into believing the lies it promises to deliver.
How many impulse buys line your shelves, fill your storage locker, clog your closet or yell for a garage sale? More stuff means more responsibility. The hamster-wheel of crave-indulge-crave is exhausting.
Even when we purchase consumables that don’t need to be insured, stored or cared for, it still costs the earth resources and potentially our own wellness.
All of creation consumes. It’s the reality of life on the planet. Meeting our needs responsibly, calls for discernment, however. This might mean slowing down – borrowing, fixing, making and thrifting all take more time than clicking for doorstep delivery, but they are usually more in line with the true pace of nature.
Chances are pretty good that you don’t need more stuff. You might actually need to take better care of and appreciate what you already have.
The next time you get the urge to purchase, take a breath between the impulse and its pacification. There may be a world of treasures to discover.
Let’s Talk Trash is contracted by qathet Regional District to offer its waste reduction education program. For more information, email [email protected] or go to LetsTalkTrash.ca.
