Synonyms of consumption include burning, damage, decay, decrease, depletion, desolation, destruction, devastation, diminution, dispersion, dissipation, exhaustion, expenditure, loss, misuse, ruin, swallowing, using up, utilization, waste, wear and tear.
Now, maybe your trip to the mall last weekend didn’t feel destructive or devastating, but a few of the other words may sound familiar especially when we dissect our consumption habits over time. It’s not pretty. Especially not at the rate that we, as a society are consuming, devastating and using up whatever we can get our hands on.
The worst part is that the majority of our purchasing isn’t on things that we need or that add real value to our lives. Instead we are often after a feeling. We buy something because we hope it will make us feel productive, pretty, happy, loved, whole or just better than we feel now. And it does. For about five minutes.
It’s not bad to want to feel productive, pretty, happy, loved, or whole, but with a purchase, the emotions and feelings are not sustainable and we are left with debt, clutter and emptiness. There is a better way.
Trade in Consumption for …
Creativity
Instead of working your anxiety out at the mall, write something, draw something, improve your photography skills. Make something out of nothing. Creating will make you feel productive.
Collaboration
Get together with friends and talk about how to make something better. Put your creative energies together and do something good with it. Cook for each other or go for a hike. Some of the best ideas come from movement and conversation. Collaborating will make you feel loved.
Contribution
Give. Give. Give. Your time, talent and treasure is so much more valuable and meaningful when you give it away. Contributing will make you feel whole.
Connection
Meet new friends. Reach out to old friends. Start a Twitter account and connect with authors and artists that you admire. Join or start a meet up group. Connection will make you feel better.
Challenge
Replace your shopping habits with an unshopping challenge like minimalist fashion Project 333 or The 100 Thing Challenge.
Trading in consumption isn’t about spending nothing or not buying anything, but instead, paying attention to where your dollars and minutes go. Track your spending for a week or a month and acknowledge your spending habits. You might be spending more than you think. Maybe you don’t need to make as much as you do. Perhaps that debt free lifestyle is closer than you think.
Break the habit of shopping for sport, searching for happiness at the mall, or picking up extra, needless items while grocery shopping by shifting your focus from consumption and comparison to creativity, collaboration, contribution and connection.
Great points about contribution and collaboration.
Thanks Tony!
It is about time I try the 100 thing challenge. You have inspired me!
So true, Courtney! A new shirt never made me feel as good as a hug, kind word, or finished project. Thank you for the reminders.
Tammy, I’ve tried that over and over and it never worked. The new clothes always became old clothes .. but the other things. They are new every time!
Dear Courtney
I can not tell you how much I get from your words. I am ‘leaning into’ my older age and am working my way through this transition, returning to college, grandmothering, declutterinf, honing my essence, finding a new way for a new time in my life. You inspire me every day. I am reading my way through your archive. Many many thanks,
Rose
Dear Rose. I am so glad to help. Email anytime with suggestions or questions.
Great thoughts Courtney. I really think that the challenge prong would likely by the most effective counter-consumption idea, if you someone was really looking for a way to consume less. However, I like all of the ideas – especially connect, which is something that I have recently begun to work on recently by using Twitter to connect with like-minded people. I have quickly made some good connections, which I feel good about. Have a good weekend.
Hi Patrick, In my experience, the challenges are great because you are completely redirecting your focus and excited about trying something new. That initial interest and commitment leads to awesome long term lessons and benefits.
If you really stop to thing about the definition of the word consumption, or being consumed by something, it’s really clear that it has more of a negative connotation than our consumer society would like you to believe. Thanks for pointing that out, it’s a good thought for the day!
Thanks Alyssa. Just shifting our thoughts about the behavior can spark change.
The word “consumption” always makes me think of tuberculosis and 19th century people coughing out their lungs. That visual will keep you out of the malls! 🙂
Yes! Yes! Yes! Love everything about this post and especially love the suggestion on trading in consumption for more soul-enriching “C’s”! Great article.
Hi Courtney. Catching up on Twitter brought me to your latest post here.
I think many of us go for consumption simply because of a longing for connection. Everyone consumes.
If I have a crush on a girl, I’ll watch TV shows she likes. It might be the closest I can get.
Consumption is never lonely, because you’re doing it with others. Working, spending, living. It’s at once alone, but together, like a mutual sacrifice performed by everyone at once. We’re happy to jump because we’ll do down together.
I long for connection. More than anything. This world feels like concrete around my ankles when it comes to interaction.
If I were to avoid the easy, falser routes to connection, theoretically I’d find the truer.
Leaps of faith.
Thanks so much for reiterating the age old but sometimes forgotten wisdom that fulfillment doesn’t come from acquiring more things but rather from accumulating experiences.
We were a little surprised reading all of the synonyms, yet they are so appropriate in describing our modern consumerism.
You have chosen some great trade in deals. We have mostly traded in for creativity, Jess for painting and photography, Mark for writing. We have both been at our most creative in our lives due to this trade in.
Thanks for the reminder of the importance of this trade, and shining light on other options we could trade for.
Contributing always feels damn good. And even introverts like me need a social fix. I went out last night with friends (a Monday night, a rarity) and it was most excellent.
This is a great post. Very straightforward. The hardest one for me would have to be giving! For some reason I always feel like I don’t have a whole lot to give back, but there are so many ways to do this without even giving physical things. Thanks for keeping our habits of consumption in perspective.