This is a short blog today because I want to know the latest information about Podmas, but I’m currently on a press trip to Saudi Arabia, so I don’t have much downtime. I look forward to sharing more about my trip to Saudi Arabia. I’m not paid to be here and I’m under no obligation to post anything, so I look forward to sharing an honest account of my experience.
Anyway, back to Podmus.
Today’s prompt for Podmas is: The worst advice you’ve ever been given
Although there is no bad advice I have ever received, there are some pieces of advice given by society in general that I disagree with.
It’s the advice that things make us happy.
Deep down we know that things don’t make us happy, but we hope that these things are a shortcut to happiness.
Let’s say you’re not happy with your body shape and want to lose weight. All the advice there is to buy something to solve the situation. Buy a juicer, buy an app, buy special shoes to run faster, buy this expensive new superfood, buy this cookbook, buy an expensive health club membership. Buy, buy, buy.
But everyone knows that in reality there is no need to buy anything. All you have to do is eat less and sweat more.
We are constantly bombarded with advertisements to buy things, and it has been shown that when people buy things, they become happier, sexier, more attractive, and more likable. Masu.
But when I think about the happiest, sexiest, most likable people I know, they’re not happy, sexy, or likable because of their cars, branded handbags, or new cell phones. But not. I like it because it’s nice. They’re sexy because they’re confident, and they’re happy because they don’t compare themselves to others.
There’s a reason these sales messages pop up so often. It’s easy. Because companies need to sell us things to make money. If we stopped buying things, the entire economy would collapse. Society is built on capitalism, and I don’t think this will change for the masses, but I think it will change for small communities of people who live for experiences, not possessions.
I hope the minimalism movement has a big role to play in this, and the rise of minimalist influencers suggests that more and more people are moving away from consumerism. But even if you’re a minimalist, you still see a lot of ads about buying things to become a better minimalist, so maybe we won’t turn away from them. Maybe I can change direction in about half the time. Is it just about 45 degrees?
As I get older, I find it easier to stop buying things.
When I was young, I didn’t know what I wanted or who I really was and was easily influenced by advertisements and the latest trends. But I think as you get older, you become more confident in who you are, so you’re less influenced by the “buy, buy, buy” message.
This is a topic I could write about all day long, but since it’s midnight and I’m getting up in 4 hours to go on a desert safari, I’ll leave it at that. (It will also be uploaded to Instagram soon!)