"We are not consumers. We are human-Beings. Our needs are unique and cannot be met with products."
~The Unconsumer Manifesto.
We live in a society that teaches us social status in the form of fashion, Happiness in the form of possessions, love in the form of physical gifts, and worth in the form of high-trending anything. However, more and more people are awakening from this dream-like illusion. More and more people are realizing that all that "stuff" does not make them Happy. In fact, quite the opposite.
What these "things" are are distractions from reality, from Happiness and from actually Living. They are not Life. They are not Happiness. They do not fulfil any inherent desire that cannot be filled by what's already inside us.
Does this mean burn all your things and go live in the forest? Perhaps not quite. But you would be surprised by what you could discover about yourself, about life, and about true Happiness if you actually did.
In the words of John Lennon, "Imagine no possessions, I wonder if you can?"
We live in a world that teaches us absolute attachment to possessions. Ironically, it also teaches us absolute disregard for possessions, that these things are absolutely disposable--that is, so long as you have another "thing" to replace the one to be discarded. In that sense, possessions have passing value, so the distraction maintains our mind's attention constantly on whatever's new and "exciting." We never stop to look within ourselves for fulfillment and true happiness.
Perhaps first we must also look at why our society teaches us this so that we can understand why it is flawed and why it is best to move away from this mentality.
"Stuff" means the economy is supposedly booming. "Stuff" means money is being spent and that keeps those with the most money and power in control. Now, it is important to see that it is those people--with the billion dollar pockets that spend billions of dollars on advertising-- that are constantly and consistently putting the idea in our heads that all that "stuff" will buy you happiness. The message tells us that we need "things" to find self-worth, by shoving the notion into our brains that we are not worthy, beautiful, or wonderful as we are. The world wants to change you, and constantly at that, so that you will need to change your appearance and demeanour with clothing, new gadgets, cars, and whatever else they can use to make you spend money. And if everything around us is subliminally and obviously telling us to consume and that materialism is everything, who is going to question the lie?
But that's exactly what it is, a lie. If nothing more, I hope you can become aware of the lie so you can be Happy without it.
You are not your possessions. You are not the things you own. Your life is not made up of the things you buy. Your worth is not measured by possessions. "Stuff" does not make you happy or valuable. Advertising and media will make you want to buy, consume, and rely on materialism. But you do not need it. And the sooner you can see this the sooner you can start loving yourself and your life as well.
Live in your Heart's world, not your "Stuff's" world. Stop attachment to possessions and instead rediscover the true joy of living simply, living in harmony with the Natural Way of Things. Love and Happiness come from within, from the heart, not from "stuff." Your life is not what it is because of the possessions in it. Your life is not rich because of possessions. Your life is rich because of the people around you, because of the love experienced, and because of the memories shared. Your life is rich because of the air we breathe, the soil at our feet, the gifts of the natural world. Your life is rich and valuable, not because of "stuff" and possessions but because of connectedness and love.
A "rich" life is not one with millions of dollars worth of "things." A rich life is one filled with happiness in your heart. You don't need "Stuff" to be Happy. Get away from consumerism and materialism and you will give yourself the chance to discover yourself, people, simplicity, and the beauty of the world untouched by society and possessions.
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