When I was little, I was always looking for the next greatest thing. A new toy, a new friend, a new pet. My mom, my older sister and I loved to go to PetSmart. We would befriend the cats and discuss how cute they were. My sister Lindsay and I would beg our mom.
“Can we PLEASE have her?”
We had three cats because of this obsession with PetSmart.
At the age of 22, I am no better. While I still fawn over adorable creatures, this constant wanting has leaked into my life in other ways. On any given day, I can walk into Barnes and Noble and immediately find seventeen books I want. Barnes and Noble is my happy place and I enjoy reading, but I do not need seventeen books at one time.
I am a consumer. I constantly find things that could make my life more rich and fulfilling. While I occasionally give in to my desires, I realize I lack a few key elements necessary to purchase these rich fulfilling items.
1. Time
2. Money
3. Storage
Every day I walk into my room and am overwhelmed by the amount of belongings I have. I wish I meant overwhelmed in a positive way, but I actually mean anxiety ridden and nervous. This causes me to lose time thinking about the people that I love and think more about the stuff my room is consumed of. Am I ungrateful for not appreciating the things I have?
Then my brain puts me to shame by telling me how much money I spent on these products and how I haven’t worn that shirt in over a year, but for some reason I still need it in my life. Thanks, brain. I get it. I like the way that shirt looks in my closet, but not on my person.
The most important element I lack when it comes to new items is storage. To put this in perspective, I live in apartment the size of your bathroom. In my bedroom, I have a full-size bed, a dresser, a bookshelf, a night stand and a two chairs. My closet overflows with clothes I don’t appreciate. My dresser is not only full, but is covered in miscellaneous items that don’t have a home.
When will I realize that these belongings look nice in the store AND SHOULD STAY IN THE STORE?
Stacie Orrico (yes, I am quoting a singer that I haven’t listened to since I was 13 years old) said, “There’s gotta be more to life than chasing down every temporary high to satisfy me.”
So take the time to appreciate those who fill your heart instead of the goods that fill your room and feel blessed that the iPhone won’t let you take another picture because “There is not enough available storage to take a photo.” Come on, you all have seen that error message, don’t lie.
If you enjoy something on a regular basis, it won’t need to be stored a day in its life.