How to Change (A Series)

Tip #1 | Stop being a mindless consumer; start giving things away

I think it’s fair to say that many people today feel their lives are f*cked.

There is a sense that everything is so out of control that there is nothing we can do to make our lives better. Many important things are out of our control, but that doesn’t mean we are completely helpless.

So, I’ve decided to start a series with tips about how to change your life in simple ways. What can seem like very intentional decisions actually are often reflexive behaviors we learned as part of our cultural conditioning and have never seriously questioned.

The first small (but often hard) step you can take is to stop being a mindless consumer.

I know: This is almost like asking you to not be an American.

But I’m actually going to go even farther.

Don’t just stop reflexively racking up purchases.

Do the opposite of your impulse.

Every time you feel like you need to buy something because it’s going to make your life better, quell your anxiety or maybe even fill that gaping hole in your soul, instead, give something away.

Here is something many people don’t know: nothing will shift your energy faster than getting rid of items you aren’t using and that you don’t need.

I don’t know why this is; I just know it’s true.

So, when you feel that urge to engage in some “retail therapy,” instead go to your closet, garage, or storage unit¹ and start culling out items that you don’t need and give them away.

You will be amazed by how great you feel after you do this.

Whenever I’m feeling stuck or anxious, my husband knows there are about to be garbage bags filled with clothes appearing out of seemingly nowhere. Or the pantry will be streamlined, and my neighbors will have their pick of non-perishable items that I’m not using and probably won’t, or at least not by their expiration date.

I always feel like a new person after this; more creative, open and relaxed.