I made it.
90 days went faster than I expected. The fact that it’s summertime helps. This is my favorite time of year. I’m a summer baby, and I’ve often wondered if we love the season in which were born. Maybe it’s just me.
Summer feels like home. It’s when I feel like I’m in my skin, when I can breathe in the thick, hot air and feel connected to something deep inside of myself. Feeling the deepest part of myself keeps me grounded. When I’m grounded, I don’t think about silly things like shopping or overspending or getting distracted by things that don’t matter.
About the challenge…
Last time I wrote, I shared about the magic pill I got to swallow: a birthday gift allowed me to buy a few treats while we were on our vacation. It was a delight. It was fun!
But…
…it definitely felt different. Shopping wasn’t the only highlight of our trip. I can gladly say that shopping doesn’t bring as much joy as it once did. It’s fun once in a while the way a banana split is delicious every so often, but I don’t want to indulge every day.
Something has shifted inside of me. And, I’m pretty sure it’s for the better.
I know it’s easy to slip back into an old habit. Familiarity can feel so natural. But I’ve created a new association to shopping. I understand the way our environment suffers in making more, more, more. I see the role I play in catering to a consumer market that doesn’t have our best interest in mind.
I also know that shopping is more about dopamine than anything else. I was chasing a hit of dopamine, looking for a buzz, a high, an upside in the day.
Don’t get me wrong, I realize there’s more to it than that.
Shopping for need is a real thing. Right now, I have a stained shirt and two others with holes. I know that a refresh for my wardrobe is coming. But I also know that I don’t need to spend in the same way I once did. I can find what I need l, shop with intention, and feel good about the process.
I know the difference between shopping conspicuously, looking to have that thing everyone has, looking to show off with a purchase, versus getting what our family actually needs. And there is a fine line and a balance that can exist there.
At the end of my 90-Day #NoBuyChallenge, I can’t help but think about the word “addiction.” I realize there are instances when shopping really gets out of hand. People get in trouble, they go into debt, and really find themselves in a pickle. I didn’t see myself in that pickle jar, so to speak. I knew I wasn’t far down the river, but I also knew there was something better out there for me.
This challenge has shown me a new side of myself. It has helped me to notice what it feels like to turn off a section of my brain and act without intention. I never noticed it until I made the intentional choice to stop shopping. I think this can work for all sorts of things. Dare I use the word addictions? Maybe. Maybe not. I guess it all depends on how trapped a person feels by what it is you are or are not doing.
The challenge has ultimately become, for me, about setting intentions.
Now that I’ve seen what I can do in 90 days, I want to ask myself even better questions:
- Who do I want to be?
- What do I want to do?
- What do I spend my time and money on?
Asking these questions before acting is paramount.
So what’s next? Once I have answers to these questions, all I need is a 90-day plan, a goal, and the intention to carry it out. All I need it the conviction to move forward.
What has this challenge done for you? Share your experience! Namaste every day! Share the peace!
4 the Love of Peace 