“Wanting less is a better blessing than having more.” —Mary Ellen Edmunds
Owning less brings great benefit to our lives: less stress, less debt, more time, more freedom.
But wanting less brings even more. Removing ourselves from the culture of consumption that surrounds us allows wonderful habits to emerge in our lives: contentment, gratitude, freedom from comparison, and the opportunity to pursue greater significance.
Breaking free from excessive consumerism is an essential step not just for a simplified life, but for any life that desires to be lived intentionally. How then we can realize this freedom? What steps can we take to break free?
A Simple, Helpful Guide to Overcome Consumerism
1. Admit it is possible. There are numerous persons throughout history and the present who have adopted a minimalist lifestyle that rejects and overcomes consumerism. Find motivation in their example. And admit you can join their ranks. Victory always begins there.
2. Adopt a traveler’s mentality. When we travel, we take only what we need for the journey. As a result, we feel lighter, freer, more flexible… we understand why there is a growing movement to stage our bedrooms like hotel rooms. Adopting a traveler’s mindset for life provides the same benefit—not just for a weeklong vacation, but in everything we do. Adopt a mindset that seeks to carry only what you need for the journey.
3. Embrace the life-giving benefits of owning less. Rarely are we invited to consider the benefits of owning less. But when the practical benefits are clearly articulated, they are quickly understood, easily recognized, and often desired. Of course, these benefits are only fully realized when we actually begin living with less. An important step to overcome consumerism is to embrace the reality that there is more life to be found in owning less than can be found in owning more.
4. Become acutely aware of the consumer-driven society in which we live. Our world will lead you to believe your greatest contribution to society is the money that you spend. We are faced with 5,000 advertisements every day calling us to buy more. As a result, average consumer debt equals $8,000/household, shopping malls outnumber high schools, Americans spend more on jewelry and shoes than higher education, and 93% of teenage girls rank shopping as their favorite past time. Recognizing the consumeristic mindset of our world will not immediately remove you from it, but it is an absolutely essential step in the journey.
5. Compare down. Theodore Roosevelt once remarked, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” He was, of course, absolutely right. As we begin comparing our lives and possessions to those around us who have more, we lose joy, contentment, and happiness. And we begin trying hard to close the gap. This is because we always compare upward—looking at those who have more. But we could begin breaking through the consumerism-trap if we began taking greater notice of those who need more and spending time with people who have less and remain joyful in their circumstances.
6. Realize your money is only as valuable as what you choose to spend it on. The financial resources we have earned or been given hold great potential. They can be used to provide for those without. They can be used to bring justice and hope to a world desperately searching for both. And we ought to dream bigger dreams for our money than the clearance rack at a department store.
7. Consider the full cost of your purchases. Usually when we purchase an item, we only look at the sticker price. But this is rarely the full cost. Our purchases always cost us additional time, energy, and focus (cleaning, organizing, maintaining, fixing, replacing, or removing). Making a habit of intentionally factoring those expenses into our purchases will allow our minds to make more competent and confident decisions about our consumption habits.
8. Turn off the television. Television glamorizes all that it needs to glamorize in order to continue in existence. Corporations don’t spend $50 billion every year on television advertisements because they think they can get you to buy their product, they spend that much money because they know they can get you to buy their product. Television is an industry built on the assumption that you can be convinced to spend (and overspend) your money. You are not immune.
9. Make gratitude a discipline in your life. Gratitude serves little purpose in us as merely a response to positive circumstances. Gratitude holds its greatest potential as an attitude in undesired circumstances. Embrace it as a discipline during seasons of plenty and seasons of want. And begin focusing more on your blessings than your troubles.
10. Practice generosity. The surest path to contentment is generosity. Giving forces us to recognize all we possess and all we have to offer. It allows us to find fulfillment and purpose in helping others. Remember, generosity always leads to contentment with far greater efficiency than contentment leads to generosity.
11. Renew your commitment daily. We are bombarded every single day with advertisements from nearly every flat surface we encounter. Rejecting and overcoming consumerism is a daily battle. Expect it to be such. And recommit every morning—or every hour if necessary.
To exist is to consume. But we were designed to accomplish things far greater.
The sooner we remove ourselves from overconsumption, the sooner we realize our truest potential. (tweet that)
May it be so in your life and in mine.
Ashman says
Great article. Especially enjoyed the point about the true cost of something being more than just the price tag. To me, these costs can be seen in the unhappy and stressful faces of most of us who have been led to believe that we need the latest car, tv, or whatever. We find out how much the item truly cost us when we see how it feels to have it paid off.
lian says
Another consideration, which may actually go under # 7 as a cost of a purchase, is the environmental cost of consumerism. It doesn’t make sense to use diminishing and increasingly expensive resources for stuff that doesn’t really add much value to our lives – and will likely eventually end up in a landfill. I’ve learned to see the stuff that tempts me as future landfill material.
Living Life Happier says
You make some good points about shopping and especially about constantly recommitting. It’s strange to think that just a few years ago I considered shopping to be a fun way to spend a Saturday. Now, I’ve realized I don’t actually like shopping, and I’d rather not bring unnecessary items into my home! It’s taken a lot of practice, and occasionally I start to slip, but mostly your initial quote is what really speaks to me:
“Wanting less is a better blessing than having more.” —Mary Ellen Edmunds
Rose says
This is a great list – and I love point number 5 about comparing down. I still find myself looking at friends houses and longing for similar, even though I’m good for many of the other points.
This is something, along with gratitude, that I need to consistently add into my own outlook.
Gradually we find all the pieces of the puzzle as we go! Thank you!
Thomas says
One day, a tourist visited a monastery and an old monk showed him this beautiful and calm place. At the end of the tour, the tourist could even have a look at the chamber where the monk lived. He was astonished at the simplicity, he saw a bed, a small dresser, a table and a chair. Instantly he asked the monk: Where you possessions? The monk returned: Where are yours? I am a traveller and perambulate, the tourist answered. The monk started to smile.
Aren’t we all travellers in this world? We have a certain time to live on this planet and then we have to leave, with NO exception. Living as light as a traveller opens possibilities to explore the world around us. And even more…
Thank you Joshua for sharing your thoughts and inspiration!
Holly Dominguez says
Pinned this article! I love the point about comparing down!! Once I realized that I had contracted “affluenza” from HGTV, I cancelled our cable and we’ve been living happily without commercials for over a year. However, I did notice I was still comparing upwards through my magazine subscriptions, and so I’ve been cancelling them as they come up for renewal. I also stop advertisements from invading my inbox. I jokingly think to myself about how many distractions my wallet has to face everyday. Getting my kids and myself to want less has been such a blessing, and it’s articles like this one that gives me a good shot in the arm to fend off all the infectious advertisements that pull on my purse-strings!
Chris says
Hi Joshua,
very well written and interesting. The obsessions of comparing ourselves upwards as well as the general consumption frenzy is simply taking out all the joy out of life.
Don’t live to consume, but consume to live has been working very well for our family of three.
You just got yourself a new reader. Good luck and all the best
Chris
Terry Hadaway says
Great advice. So many people postpone their dreams because they are trapped by their stuff. If we want to be Game Changers (http://www.mythinkingbox.com), we must be willing to change our own games first!
mom says
I have been pairing my stuff down for a year now. I have removed at least 25% of our stuff maybe more. I find it gets harder and harder to remove items until now. I just spent a week with a friend who may not even realize she is a minimalist. I slept well, felt happier, less headaches and overall had a mood improvement. When I came in my door the grumpy side of me came out almost immediately upon seeing the clutter, dishes and the stuff on every surface. It is going to be hard but I really want this I guess I have to keep trying and someday it might be improved.
Kris says
I, too, have been simplifying my possessions for a year.You are right, it is going to be hard to get your surroundings to a minimalist’s ideal state, but we can approach it and the journey will be rewarding Upon recent review, I began to feel that I hadn’t made much progress because my home and personal possessions still overwhelm in spite of the bags of items I have given away or discarded. That is until I went on a shopping excursion last week and found myself debating the true need of the purchase and feeling somewhat guilty about the purchase (even though it was a gift card purchase.) I realized, then, that the real success was in changing my mindset. A year ago, I would never have felt a twinge of guilt about purchasing anything. And I purchased often. Now I shop my closet, use the library, use up products before replenishing and keep a keen eye open to recognize things in my home that are no longer needed. Giving away possessions is the hardest part and probably comes from a childhood of having little. But that doesn’t mean that I am failing.
Slackerjo says
I just spent one of the longest weeks of my life house/dog sitting for someone who has a big house filled with stuff (much of it broken). Of course since the house is so big, there is plenty of room to scatter stuff everywhere and nothing is placed in a logical easy to access spot. I spent 90% of my time wandering around a monster house looking for things.
If anything, this experience re-enforces my love of minimalism.