I like to hope that I'm far too young for a mid-life crisis, so I've come to this slightly more reassuring conclusion: I'm having a moment. You know, one of those phases when you feel like the way you've been living-- the way most everyone around you is living-- is absurd and needs to change. (Please, someone tell me I'm not alone here!) Several months ago, I was made aware of actress Shailene Woodley by way of various media interviews portraying her as a sort of Hollywood hippie. She makes her own lip stain out of beets, she forages for food, and she has given up most of her worldly possessions to live out of... a suitcase. |
After all my years of being shaped by women's fashion magazines, it struck me as odd that any woman would, by choice, live so... simply. But she seemed so content with so little! Woodley's comments on simple living have sat with me since, settling in my mind and causing me to think about the negative ways American culture has skewed my outlook on life.
Looking around our home, I came to feel suffocated by, well, all the STUFF we possessed. We each had a dresser and a closet to ourselves, yet we found ourselves wearing the same clothing week after week. We had shelves upon shelves of DVDs and books that we rarely used twice. We had two video game systems, for Heaven's sake!
Consequently (and to my husband's occasional dismay), I have since begun down the path to becoming a minimalist. An abundance of makeup has been discarded, and an abundance of clothes, shoes and aforementioned STUFF has been gifted to friends or given to Goodwill.
I can honestly say, not only does our home look better, but I FEEL better living with less. I realized that while our culture tells me I need the latest clothes, beauty products and gadgets to be beautiful, cool and (it is implied) happy... simply put: I don't.
I recently picked up a stack of women's fashion magazines to see what kinds of messages these publications are trying to send me. Here's what I discovered.
Shape Magazine takes me down "The Youth Corridor," informing me of the new 'lunch hour lift' procedure that 9.5 million people opted for in 2013. It involves injecting fillers into your face to give you "higher cheekbones and new angularity" that are said to "enhance the beauty of your face."
Cosmopolitan walks me through finding the best jeans for my butt, and Vogue takes on the most significant of all issues: Identity Theft. No, not the 'call and cancel my credit card' kind, but "when friends steal your style."
I'll admit: I do love fashion. I enjoy adding new items to my wardrobe as much as the next gal. But I've learned to be more practical. How many dresses do I really need? Isn't one pair of black pumps enough? Is it worth buying this DVD when I'm probably not going to re-watch it? Now, when I shop, I make sure I get rid of one item for each one I add.
Not to mention, I have learned a new art: living vicariously through InStyle. Rather than buying my own new fall wardrobe, I spend a few minutes flipping through these same fashion magazines I shake my head at, admiring the beautiful products they highlight. No, I don't buy the hype. I'm not interested in the superficial tips, tricks and trends.
Rather, I focus on the positive. For example, I was pleased to learn that after viewing cute images of kittens and puppies, I can expect to see a 16% improvement in productivity at work. Score!
Just as we automatically filter out the girl chatting too loudly on her cell phone in the Starbucks line and the guy next to us on the bus who is (not so discreetly) picking his nose, I am learning to filter out what society wants me to think I want and need.
A simple life is a peaceful life. A peaceful life lends itself to a quiet mind and a full heart. So, you know what? I sure hope this moment I'm having sticks around.
Now, COME ON, DISH! Do you try to live a minimalist lifestyle-- or are you a Shopaholic? What do you think of the consumer culture we are living in? Have you ever tried Shailene Woodley's beet lip stain? I'd love to hear your thoughts!