Minimalism: A Rich Life Without Having to be Rich
It’s the day after Christmas, and I’m running to the mall. Not to buy anything, God no. I’m not a fan of nationwide sales. Especially the kind that tricks you into believing you’re saving so much money it’s necessary to abandon quality time with friends, family or even yourself, to buy more stuff you won’t use or wear. I was returning some gifts that were well-intended but not quite right for me. I was confident hardly anyone would be at the mall. It was raining, gloomy, and it was the day after Christmas after all.
It’s the day after Christmas, and I’m running to the mall. Not to buy anything, God no. I’m not a fan of nationwide sales. Especially the kind that tricks you into believing you’re saving so much money it’s necessary to abandon quality time with friends, family or even yourself, to buy more stuff you won’t use or wear. I was returning some gifts that were well-intended but not quite right for me. I was confident hardly anyone would be at the mall. It was raining, gloomy, and it was the day after Christmas after all. Hadn't everyone spent all their savings the days prior? I was terribly wrong. It was packed. Packed to the max. Excuse the simple, predictability of my words, but that’s how it looked. Everyone standing in line with their Macy’s 25% off coupons confused by why they didn’t apply to the items they were purchasing.
“Because, this was the only way to get you into the store to spend more money than you actually intended, knowing you were never saving anything in the first place.” The clerk gently explained with a smile on her face.
People's Need for More
It amazes me that year after year, holiday after holiday, sale after sale, people have yet to catch onto the games that are being played by retail companies. It doesn’t matter how much stuff people have, for some reason they still believe they NEED, not want, but absolutely need more. “Oh I need a new coat. This room needs a bigger TV. It's half-off!”
If you stopped to take a sneak peak in the households of each of these individuals ready to buy more, you will find someone irritated by how much stuff is everywhere and can never kind what they need. A mother who can’t get a moment to herself because every single weekend she’s doing loads of laundry and never-ending tidying up. A beautiful woman with enough clothes to open not one, but two boutiques tomorrow, yet she still can’t find anything worth wearing to dinner. You’ll find someone so overwhelmed with their disorganization but instead of doing anything about it, continue to live scattered day in and day out—going from one stressful peak to the next.
(Sigh...)
None of these people are lazy or refuse to change, they’re simply unaware of what to change or how to change. A lot of what we are all seeking from life is translated to the things we invest our money in. Whether it’s love, acceptance, notoriety, purpose, self- worth, it is seen in how we spend our income. As each generation emerges, it is clear money is being spent on the more shallow areas of life- appearance, trends, beauty, cars, clothes, and not on the deeper, more lasting areas- experiences, knowledge, relationships, the environment, world epidemics, personal and professional growth.
Now there is absolutely nothing wrong with spending money on how you appear to those around you. It’s important to feel confident and proud of the image portrayed to the outside world. But the scale has tipped in that direction as if it is more important or solely important above all else. Above how we actually feel about ourselves and our lives, above the state of our relationships with those we love, above our actual reality.
And the reality is this:
People feel over-worked, under appreciated, unfulfilled, living for the weekends, and simply not at peace because there’s ALWAYS something that we should be doing in order to keep up in this race called life.
I felt nothing but pure joy to be around those I loved this Christmas. The ability to be present and embrace careless spontaneity. The simplicity in sharing a story or laughing endlessly at my niece being all or 6 but acting all of 16. The feeling of not needing to be anywhere else but here and now. The holidays are special that way. For a moment, they remind us to be satisfied with the simple things. But what if you didn’t need a holiday to feel like this. What if, enjoying the moment was possible on a daily basis. I’m not talking about living in a state of oblivion- walking around with rose colored glasses without a care in the world, but living in a state of reality, being surrounded by these moments instead of all these things.
Mutha..
Mutha Lover..
Winnie schooling IV on the art of teeth brushing.
How to Live More
How do you achieve that? How do you surround yourself with pure satisfaction instead of always seeking it in things, notifications, acknowledgements, achievements and THINGS? It's simple really, in theory. It's a little more difficult in practice-- for our time at least.
Sometimes we have to let go of what's killing us, even if it's killing us to let go.
In order to make room for something new, we must remove what's getting in the way. I see a lot of people, myself included, seeking for a life less busy, less strenuous, less difficult to maintain. A life where we thrive instead of survive. A life that is rich, even without being rich.
After spending a year in and out of homes of people from all backgrounds and all income brackets, it is clear, without a doubt, that having more does not mean a happier life. Just maybe, we have it backwards. Maybe, having less means living more.
I decided it was time to get off this train and walk a path that feels more natural to who we are as humans, before we were told what we are, how we should be, and what we should buy to feel more complete. Minimalism may not be for everyone, nothing ever is, but if the route you’re currently traveling doesn’t feel quite right, what’s the harm in going the other way? Join me on the path of discovering more life with less.
Feel free,
Mel
Why Do People Copy Others?
Big lips✔ Coke bottle figure✔ Long hair✔ Eyelashes that make my eyes look like a spider✔ Light skin with a hint of tan✔ Big breasts✔ Ass that mimics that of Nikki Minaj.....impossible, that girl is an alien.
Big lips✔ Coke bottle figure✔ Long hair✔ Eyelashes that make my eyes look like a spider✔ Light skin with a hint of tan✔ Big breasts✔ Ass that mimics that of Nikki Minaj.....impossible, that girl is an alien.
So many females have taken their bodies and changed it in into something unnatural and trendy instead of embracing beauty that is authentic and unique.
I don't really understand the reason for doing this. Yes I do have my own set of insecurties: my skin is prone to breakouts, my knuckles are fat (those of you who only wear rings on one finger know what I'm talking about), and my ass... let's just say it's more like Kelly's than Beyoncé's.
We all have features that are far from perfect, but since when was being a duplicate of another the goal?
Related Posts:Don't Try to attract Everyone
It is natural for us to yearn to be part of a group. We are drawn to likness. That's how we determine friends, companions, political parties, amongst many other things, but it's through our differences where our true identity is formed.
People often copy others in hopes to have what they have. But just like the old saying goes,
Everything ain't for everybody"
It is your own style and personality that will grab the attention of others. People are in awe of those who can shamelessly brings forth who they are.
When going after your dreams it's so easy to look to those you admire and mimic their every move. They are the blueprint, they are the idols. As long as you follow their lead you don't have to risk being different and you don't have to find your own way.
But it doesn't work that way. We are not meant to replicate anyone else. Someone else's greatness is revealed to inspire you to find your own. We fear that what we have to offer may not be good enough, worthy of acceptance or admiration, or worse--- will be ignored.
Related Posts:Commit to Yourself
Doing great things and living a great life will always come with great risks to our ego. The true test is doing it anyway.
The one thing that people from all walks of life relate to is
realness....
authenticity...
truth.
When you put aside your fears of not being liked or accepted, and embrace who you are and what you have to offer, you are bound to get back that exact authenticity from others.
Remind yourself, ain't nobody built like you, you designed yourself " Jay-Z
Whatever is different about the way you look, the way you sound, or the way you persue you goals, own it. It is your key to discovery. Common ones are nice, but it's the uncommon who are unforgettable. Feel Free, Mel
What Necole Bitchie Taught Me About Living Your Truth
We are in a day and age when salacious news trumps truth and positivity. The Love and Hip Hop series on VH1 is the most watched tv show not because they're curing Aids or helping the needy. There's more drama in one episode than an entire senior year in high school. The characters are willing to entertain by any means necessary in order to stay relevant instead of living a life of truth and positivity. People are so scared to find their own voice, live their truth,
We are in a day and age when salacious news trumps truth and positivity. The Love and Hip Hop series on VH1 is the most watched tv show not because they're curing Aids or helping the needy. There's more drama in one episode than an entire senior year in high school. The characters are willing to entertain by any means necessary in order to stay relevant instead of living a life of truth and positivity. People are so scared to find their own voice, live their truth, and give into their own unique power that, they would rather follow what is trendy.
MY TRUTH I've been thinking a lot lately about what I want to impress on the world. I've been thinking about my message and how I want it to influence people. There are many bloggers out there building their business and brand. Some have no interest on how their message is received or what they deliver as long as people are watching. Not I. It matters to me greatly what people think about or do after visiting my page. I want those of you who take the time to read each post to do great things, feel better about yourself, find freedom in living your truth, and most of all, increase love and positivity in every area of your life.
Related Posts: The Search to Find Your Happiness
HOW TO FIND YOUR TRUTH When someone is bold enough to take a chance on something that's not popular but instead is powerful, they are looking to evoke change in people instead of provoking change. Evoking is when you are looking to bring out the best in the people you influence. Provoking is when you are pushing someone to take notice in you. (Posting 100 times a day, talking to be talking without a purpose or a clear message, grabbing attention however and whenever)
Necole Bitchie (as many know her but her real name is Necole Kane), celebrity gossip blogger turned messenger of truth, change, and positivty, said
When someone hands you the mic you should have something worthy to say.
This message touched me because I know that I want to encourage, inspire, and enlighten those around me to be all that they want to be. I know that regardless if I inspire one or thousands it all matters, because people do AMAZING things when they are inspired. By no means do I claim to be a guru. My creative expression -- my writing, my pictures, my work is me living my own truth. I would be doing these same things in private, but I've decided to grab a piece of the internet and share it. There's great power in a testimony. If my path encourages others to find their own then by all means I will not stand in the way.
THERE IS PURPOSE IN LIVING YOUR TRUTH Whether your gift is writing, speaking, acting, running, marketing, whatever it may be, there is a great purpose for that talent that you must discover. There is nothing wrong making money from your gifts or presenting them for others to recognize, but until you determine the purpose behind your talent there will always be a sense of longing for something more.
The bravery it took for Necole to step into a lane of her own and start something less popular but more purposeful is the kind of trait needed to follow your own path and not fear it's outcome. I am gratful for people like her who are willing to fight for the good things in this life- love, happiness, passion, peace, community. Because enough people are fighting for the fleeting- money, fame, glamour, trends.
Related Post: One Sure Way to Build the Confidence You Need to Act on What You Want
Although there is enormous uncertainty to where your truth will lead you, it is only because it has never been created by you before. Therefore you are creating something one of a kind. There is something more in store for us all if we dare to explore it. It's not beside you, it's not behind you, it's not even in front of you, it's within you. It always has been and always will be. Now let it out.
***How do you live your truth? Share how you are currently living your truth or what you intend to do in order to start living it. I'd love to know. Comment below!
Feel free, Mel