So, I haven’t written for a week or so. Not because I’ve lost interest or focus. Not because I cheated and couldn’t face you all. I’ve been taking this week to observe something and not be so quick to judge it. I wanted to think about the WHY’s of our purchasing habits and here’s what I came up with:

Why do we buy? Well, I think we buy things to fill empty parts of our homes and selves. I think we often feel the need for a quick fix, something to ease our anxieties, sadness, boredom, happiness…really a variety of emotions we may not even realize that we are experiencing. We buy things when we want to celebrate something good that’s happened. We buy things to fill up time. To cover up. To clutter up. To add to our lives because we think that having games, clothes, gadgets, and things mean something or add to our worth as people.

What happens when we stop buying? We have more space for love and the people in our lives. We have less to worry about and maintain. We know ourselves better because we have less to be distracted with. We learn to make more of the things we do have and with that, comes gratitude and worth. We have more time. We feel cleaner. We feel expansive.

At least I do.

Now, I know I’m just a month in, but this month has deeply impacted my habits and life choices. I think this may end up being a life choice, not just a choice for this year. I like what I get when I’m not getting.

-Courtney