I was flipping through the recent issue of O magazine. Just days ago, I was scrolling through Instagram and saw the same thing. It wasn’t just these activities that were keeping me busy, it was the makeup ads, free online classes, and 20 percent off sales.
Every time I clicked open my email something else popped up demanding my attention.
You need to read this. Now.
You can watch this. But you only have 30 days to do it.
This is the top you need. You need this mascara! You might have this disease.
There was urgency not just in my every day real life, but virtually.
Every one was selling something, something sexier, cooler, smarter, cheaper, better, more efficient. Something that would make me skinnier. Some product that would remove my wrinkles, bags under my eyes, make me a better parent, more money than I could dream of, reduce my anxiety and get me to sleep more.
In other words, they were selling perfection. And I was buying it. Buying in. And all that time and money that I was spending was dissolving into thin air. I was no thinner, healthier or successful because I was using it to fuel their wallets and dreams.
[bctt tweet=”There’s nothing wrong with products and services. The problem comes when we keep searching for better, when we believe what we already have is not enough.”]
The next time you’re persuaded into clicking on an ad that says you need something, check in. Do you really need it? Do you really need another pair of jeans? Is the mascara you have enough? Do you need the best of anything? Will you be okay if you skip that sale this weekend?
Shop. Buy. Spend. But do it with intention. If you do it mindlessly, you’re stealing time away from what matters. And in the end you’ll be left with more stuff, and less of what you really want.