We are obsessed with material things so much that we barely notice it anymore. Overconsumption is omnipresent and it’s eating us alive slowly but surely.

I’m no saint either. I have an unhealthy obsession with mugs, but I always had that obsession. I have over 15 mugs and I am just one person. Why do I need so many mugs? In the past I had an obsession with fluffy blankets, and I own like 4 of them, but why? I will never know. I like cozy things, I guess. But let’s say these are small scale examples, what about people and particularly women who have countless shampoo bottles, shower gels, scrubs, make up, 3 different mascaras, 4 different concealers, you name it. Why on Earth do we need so many things? Where is this coming from?

As I’m growing older, I find myself separating more and more from the material things. I have always been minimalistic when it comes to cosmetics, and I try to do the same for the rest of the things I own. We are flooded by consumerism, always chasing something, some new gadget when the current one works just fine. We are always running towards some new trend; we compete and zoom in on people’s belongings like it’s a competition in who will have more designer items, what kind of car you have, where have you tagged yourself yesterday. It’s like someone is chasing us and if we don’t win this consumerism race, they will eat us alive.

I know that social media is to blame, because we relentlessly compare ourselves, but we all need to ask ourselves these questions: Am I buying it because I like it or because some paid influencer owns it and says it’s good? Am I traveling to experience the world and use it to improve myself or am I traveling for the likes and for someone to say, “Oh she was there, did you see her post?” Am I using my eyes, heart and mind when I travel or I just go and use my phone? Do I want to inflate my lips because it’s a necessity or because everyone is doing it? We are all guilty of something. We have all done things that are on either side of the spectrum, but being aware of it is a huge step forward in this dystopian society.

I care less and less about any of the above-mentioned things. All I care about is doing what I love, I care about writing, exploring the depths of myself and my interests, and finding my inner peace. At the end of the day, my life will be over in a blink of an eye, and if my only memory will be about the stuff I owned then I’m doomed. I will not remember the jacket I wore somewhere, but I will remember the places I visited, the experiences I made, the people who made such an impact on me. I won’t remember my Birkin bag or whatever car I owned. It will all dissolve one day. Why waste our precious time on things that can’t hold memories?