[Music] what's the last thing you bought I recently had to replace my makeup remover and
on my way to the store I couldn't help but notice the overwhelming amount of products clothes ads
and marketing gimmicks that were constantly in my face while looking at the fancy window displays I
couldn't help but think about the messages these companies were sending us telling us
to curate our homes with the newest design Trend to revamp our style with new outfits to buy skin
care that's supposed to fix all of our problems of course implying that having these things will
somehow make us happier or at least create the illusion of happiness but really who benefits
from this and what's the end goal of trying to achieve this perfectly curated materialistic life
I've learned that we can't always control what goes on around us but we can shift
our mindset and priorities away from the excessive focus on material things
today I wanted to talk about some things that have really helped me to avoid the
materialism trap and to live my life and simplicity and in peace
two years ago I challenged myself to do a low by year and let me tell you it was one of the most
eye-opening experiences the reason I wanted to do this in the first place was because I needed
to pay off a big debt and to prove to myself that I could do it so I set some ground rules
to become more mindful of my spending and work towards my financial goals was I able to pay off
all that debt not exactly but I was surprised at how I was able to look past all the distractions
and guide my finances in the right way it was one of the best ways to reset my shopping habit that
had been spiraling out of control and I was able to redefine my relationship with money
I'm no longer calling it a challenge but now it's become more of a lifestyle
I don't buy or browse until something needs to be replaced I always use a wish list so I
don't make impulse purchases and I try to shop the second hand Market first [Music]
for me setting these guidelines work way better than budgeting because I don't feel
restricted but encouraged to spend more mindfully because let's be honest even the most extreme
minimalist needs to buy things to function and Thrive so instead of talking about how to not
shop I think it's way more important to shed light on how we can shop more intentionally
if you feel overwhelmed with your expenses or always have too many things in your cart or your
wish list I highly recommend doing this low by challenge or budgeting cash only challenge setting
credit card limits no buy challenge whatever works for you in this season of your life
sometimes we need these resets to evaluate our habits and start over [Music]
did you know that the average American sees around 4 000 to 10 000 ads each day
I think most of us have become so used to it that we don't even notice it anymore that doesn't mean
that we're not exposed to it all the time every time we scroll on our phones watch a movie step
outside of our houses and now the algorithm picks up on our interests and personalizes
the ads for us no wonder we feel so tempted to splurge on things that we don't even need
it honestly feels like too much more than ever lately especially when it comes to clothes
skin care and makeup because I guess I am the target audience for this Market
and don't get me wrong I actually love getting dolled up and creating different looks with my
outfits but I needed to find a way to simplify these areas of my life and not feel so tempted
to fall into the materialism trap so for skin care and makeup after too many oxidized vitamin
C serums and have used expired creams later I learned my lesson now I just keep it to a
three-step skincare routine and for everyday makeup I keep it in this clear container so
that I can actually see what I have and don't buy duplicates until I'm done with a product
when I went to Primary School we had to wear our school uniforms and I was only able to wear my fun
clothes on the weekends I hated it at the time but now I've modeled my wardrobe after this concept
on my regular days I have my go-to outfits my uniform and this is what you will see me in Eighty
percent of the time and this is what makes up 80 of my closet it doesn't have to be boring and it
doesn't have to be all Basics the point is to have a handful of outfit ideas that you absolutely love
since doing this I never feel like I don't have anything to wear and I'm less tempted
to shop around for random pieces [Music] what are you most tempted to buy I highly recommend
spending a day or two to try to figure out a simple system that works for you
and once you have a system in place you'll be surprised at how peaceful it feels to go on
about your day to ignore all the ads and messages that are constantly being thrown in your face
when I first started on this minimalism journey I started asking myself where
does this constant craving come from what am I trying to fill what am I trying to prove
and as embarrassing as it is to admit this I was shopping to Define my self-worth and
prove to others that I was somehow valuable by decorating my life with these things I often
talk about how important it was for me to know my enough knowing when I have enough things and when
I have enough money because without recognizing this guideline it's way too easy to get caught up
in the rat race to overwork ourselves to indulge in frivolous things and crave what we don't need
and now I'm realizing how important it is to know that without adding anything more to my life
that I am enough I don't need that thing to be whole valued or loved this is such a powerful
statement that always puts me in a state of gratitude and peace as the saying goes gratitude
turns what we have into enough I'll actually say this to myself out loud whenever I feel tempted
by some clever ad and ironically this mindset brings me more abundance and fulfillment than
anything ever can [Music] so maybe I can remind you that you don't need that outfit to be seen
you don't need that expensive facial designer bag the cool car the house the vacation to be valued
in a culture that constantly tells us we're not enough it feels so powerful to not let
that narrative become our internal narrative it feels so good to say I have enough and I am enough
not just me but all of us because our inherent worth cannot be bought or priced
I hope you guys enjoyed today's video and I'll talk to you in the next video
take care guys foreign