10 Reasons to Escape Excessive Consumerism

I'm trying to live a minimalist life but that doesn't mean I still don't own stuff our family of four still owns three beds two dressers two couches a dining room table with eight chairs one desk eight plates eight bowls eight glasses my kids own clothes and books and iPhones my wife sews I read play tennis and I write for a living we may be seeking to live a minimalist life but we are still consumers after all to live is to consume but we have worked hard to escape excessive consumerism consumerism becomes excessive when it extends beyond what is needed when we begin consuming more than is needed boundaries are removed personal credit allows us to make purchases beyond our income level advertisements reshape our desires around material possessions the internet has made material Goods shockingly accessible and the consumption culture that surrounds us begins to make excessive consumption appear natural and normal excessive consumption leads to bigger houses faster cars Trend your clothes faints your technology and overfilled drawers it promises happiness but it never delivers instead it results only in a desire for more a desire which is promoted by the world around us and it slowly begins robbing us of life it redirects our god-given passions to things that can never fulfill it consumes our limited resources and it is time we escape this vicious cycle it is time to take a step back and realize that excessive consumption is not delivering on its promise to provide happiness and fulfillment consumption is necessary but excessive consumption is not and life can be better lived and more enjoyed by intentionally rejecting it consider this list of 10 benefits of escaping excessive consumerism in your life number one less debt the average American credit card holder carries $6,500 in credit card debt and 36% of us adults report having more credit card debt than money in an emergency savings account this debt causes stress in our lives and forces us to work jobs that we don't enjoy we have sought life in department stores and gambled our future on the empty promises of their advertisements we've lost make getting out of debt a priority number two less life caring for possessions the never- ending need to care for the things we own is draining our time and energy whether we're maintaining property fixing Vehicles replacing Goods or cleaning things made of plastic metal or glass our life is being emotionally and physically drained by the care of things that we don't need and in most cases don't enjoy either we are far better off owning less another reason to escape excessive consumption is less dis desire to upscale lifestyle Norms the television and the internet has brought lifestyle Envy into our lives at a level never before experienced in human history prior to the Advent of the digital age we were left envying the Jones family living next to us but at least we had a few things in common such as living in the same neighborhood but today's media age has caused us to envy and expect lifestyle Norms well beyond our incomes by promoting the Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous as Superior and enviable only an intentional rejection of excessive consumerism can quietly silence the desire to constantly upscale lifestyle Norms number four less environmental impact our Earth produces enough resources to meet all of our needs but it does not produce enough resources to meet all of our wants and what whether you consider yourself an environmentalist or not it is tough to argue with the fact that consuming more resources than the earth can replenish is not a healthy Trend especially when it is completely unnecessary a fifth reason to escape excessive consumerism is less need to keep up with evolving Trends Henry David throw in one of my favorite quotes once said every generation laughs at the old fash s but religiously follows the new recently I've been struck by the wisdom and the practical application of that thought whether relating to Fashion decoration or design a culture built on consumption must produce an everchanging Target to keep its participants spending money and our culture has nearly perfected that practice as a result nearly every year a new line of fashion is released as the newest trend and the only way to keep up is to purchase the latest fashions and trends when they are released or we could remove ourselves from the pursuit altogether number six less pressure to impress with material possessions social scientist thorstein Vin coined the phrase conspicuous consumption to describe the lavish spending on goods and services acquired mainly for the the purpose of displaying income or wealth in his 1899 book the theory of the Leisure Class this term was used to describe the behavior of a pretty limited social class and although the behavior has been around since the beginning of time today's credit has allowed it to permeate nearly every social class in today's society as a result no human being is exempt from its temptation number seven more generosity rejecting excessive consumerism always frees up energy time and finances those resources can then be brought back into alignment with our deepest heart values when we begin rejecting the temptation to spend all of our limited resources on ourselves our hearts are open to the joy and fulfillment found in giving our resources to others generosity finds space in our life and in our checkbooks to emerge the eighth reason to escape excessive consumerism is more contentment many people believe if they find or achieve contentment in their lives their desire for excessive consumption will wne but I have found the opposite to be true I have found that the intentional rejection of excessive consumption opens the door for contentment to take root in my life as a family we began pursuing minimalism as a means to realign our life around our greatest passions not as a means to find contentment but somehow minimalism resulted in a far greater contentment with life than we've ever enjoyed before number nine greater ability to see through empty promises fulfillment is not on sale at your local department store and neither is happiness it never has been and never will be we all know this to be true we all know that more things won't make us happier it's just that we've bought into the subtle message of millions upon millions of advertisements that have told us otherwise intentionally stepping back for an extended period of time helps us get a broader view of their empty claims and number 10 greater real realization that this world is not just material true life is found in the invisible things of life love Hope and Faith again we all know there are things in this world that are far more important than what we own but if one were to research our actions intentions and receipts would they reach the same conclusion or have we been too busy seeking happiness in all the wrong places escaping excessive consumption is not an easy battle if it were it would be done more often myself included but it is a battle worth fighting because it robs us of Life far more than we realize excessive consumption promises happiness but never delivers true life must be found somewhere else [Music] oh [Music]

Channel: Joshua Becker

Views: 100,993

Keywords: how to stop buying so much, why is buying stuff bad, why is my house so cluttered, Joshua Becker, minimalism, minimalist, becoming minimalist, simple living, decluttering motivation, minimalist living, decluttering and organizing, how to get rid of stuff, clutter, overconsumption, over consumerism, overconsumerism

Id: nurgeWvvfRs

Length: 9min 42sec (582 seconds)

Published: Sat Apr 27 2024