Recentering Myself: I Still Want A Lot…
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It’s been a few months since my post about wants – and unfortunately, they haven’t died down. I thought I got all the things I’d need to get me through the summer, but it turns out that’s not true. Now I want a pair of cross-trainers because Les Mills and dance classes are hard to do in running shoes, and I want a cute green top to match the compression tights I got, and a cute new bathing suit now that I have time to lay poolside (even though I inherited eight or so from my aunt), and I desperately want these Under Armour leggings because OMG HOW PERFECT FOR THE HALF MARATHON. Not to mention all the cute new clothes from brands I can fit into now (Anthropologie and Free People, anyone?). The pictures my mom sends me from her shopping sprees don’t help (no matter how many blog posts people write about how your financial choices are your own doing [which I do agree with] you sure have a much better chance of making sound choices when you’re brought up with parents who save and make sound decisions rather than spend, spend, spend.)
Wasn’t this supposed to be the year of enough? I have enough stuff – especially when I’m hoping to move, have a small room, and a closet rod that was bowing before I even moved in. So why can’t I just stop wanting? I want to pay down my loans and have all these other grand plans so why can’t I seem to curb spending? I have a real problem – and it’s something I recognize I have – where I think that in the end, money will buy my happiness via the things I want, because I didn’t grow up with money. P-Hound tweeted this last week and it really resonated with how I have always felt about money and things:
Always remember, money doesn’t buy you happiness. It buys things, which make you happy. #right? #priceless
— Richard Jin Namkung (@rjnamkung) June 12, 2013
It’s time for me to get out of that mindset. This blog post by Tales & Trenches made me feel like it’s okay to want things – but maybe want on a smaller scale. (Especially for my nail polish to stretch one. more. day.) So halfway through this year, I’m setting new resolutions. I’m working to get back on track and take the master Tony Hale’s advice – “If you’re not practicing contentment where you’re at, I promise you you’re not gonna be content when you get it.”
Here’s to a week of rebooting my life and getting my act back together. Doing things that make me happy instead of buying them, and I think I’ll start with season 4 of Arrested Development for the third time. 🙂
Arrested development – nice!
I hope your mid year reboot puts you closer to where you would like to be. I like the idea of setting resolutions sometime other than January. At least then you know you’re doing it because you actually want something, not because you’re being told you have to do it. I’ve managed to check 4 off my list so far (hug, laundry, rain and art), so I’d consider it a success. Hopefully your wants downsizing is successful as well 🙂
Arrested Development is my absolute favorite! Laundry is definitely on my list for this week. I looked at it last weekend – not enough for a full load. This morning, it’s eating my room alive. I’m not sure how it happened!