Today I want to talk about consumerism. It’s a hot topic this time of year, and I’m hearing lots of b&m-ing about all the “businesses trying to take your money” this time of year. Whether you are of this mindset or not, let’s look into it a bit.
How does this tie into fitness & health? I’ll take care of that a little further down the page…
Is a business ‘bad’ for taking advantage of this time of year? Is offering a sale on black friday an evil thing to do? Are these businesses trying to take your hard earned money away from you?
There’s no right or wrong answer here. BUT there is a choice in how you approach this buy-happy time of year. There’s a mindset that will make you grumpy & paranoid, annnnd then there’s a mindset that will make you feel connected with life & free from worry.
Here’s what I think:
I believe businesses offer products and services that people want and need. If they don’t, they go out of business and something new and useful takes their place, and that’s the cycle that businesses go through. If a business has something that you want or need, isn’t it their responsibility to make their offering known? And isn’t it kinda cool that many of them offer something of value at a discounted rate right around this time of year? I also notice that people tend to bitch more about this time of year more when they are short on cash. I strongly believe that bitching about lack of money creates more lack.
Here’s what I KNOW:
Whatever establishment you give your money & attention to is completely up to YOU. You are responsible for where your money goes and no one else is responsible for ‘tricking’ you into purchasing their product. Even if that is their intention (and that is their problem, the responsibility of where your money goes is still on you). When something is offered that you want, you have the option of purchasing it, or not. No one is forcing you. When you take responsibility for your actions, you empower yourself.
Ok, so I said I would tie this in to health & fitness…
Picture someone who KNOWS for a fact they need help losing weight. They just aren’t getting it done on their own. They know that it would benefit them to hire a personal trainer or a fitness coach to help them achieve their goals. But they complain about how much the trainer charges and tell the trainer (and themselves) that they don’t have the money. Then they go and spend that same money (that they don’t have) on going out to eat and gaining more weight.
Bottom line- money mindset makes a difference when it comes to fitness, too. My suggestion is to watch how you mentally approach this time of year. Is it with resentment, frustration, and anger? Or is it with gratitude, joy, & compassion?
Which way of thinking would benefit you more?
All my BEST,
Miranda
P.S. No, I’m not selling anything for Cyber Monday or Black Friday or whatever. BUT, I’ve got something good coming your way next week (that happens to be f-r-e-e), so keep an eye on your inbox!