Here is a little Black Friday weekend reflection: has the Black Friday shopping frenzy intruded your life this year? Were you occupied to search for that special discount on a deal you were looking for a long time? Were you tempted to participate in the consumer rat race? Did your mind and your longings focus on getting more things? Or have you just had to deal with relentless sales emails over this weekend? I have a feeling they will likely continue for the next month…
Perhaps one of the most liberating thing you can do in dealing with the never-ending attention-grabbing sales emails is to use the opportunity to unsubscribe. This freedom gives a positive spin on something that otherwise has gotten out of control.
And if you are tempted to delve into (post-) Black Friday sales deals – pause for a moment – and think what you really want and need in your life. Do you want…
- more money spent on things?
- more stuff in your already full house?
- more debt?
- more time to work to pay for it all?
- more stress and exhaustion that goes along with it?
The thrill of your one-day deal will probably wear off much faster than the side effects that go along with it. So – pause for a healthy moment – and think how you really want to spend your time and money. Not just on Black Friday. For all your life.
Why not collect lasting memories rather than perishable things? Why not spend some quality time with friends you have not seen or talked to for quite a while? Why not share an evening with family and friends playing old fashioned in-person games – undisturbed by digital devices – just talking and laughing, cherishing good conversations? Why not connecting with others over some home-made food that you like to eat or cook together? Why not going out for a walk or a hike in crisp air, listening to the sounds of falling leaves, or watching a spectacular sunset – or if you are an early bird – a marvelous sunrise early in the morning? Those colors that nature paints in the sky are simply unsurpassed. Why not share some gestures of friendliness to a person around you? Why not reading a good book (together) and enjoy a cup of hot chocolate or your favorite tea? Or why don’t you simply do nothing for a couple precious hours, and just relax and recharge your physical batteries?
I think in the busiest time of the year this might just be what we really need to invigorate our lives, socially, spiritually, and physically. I firmly believe it will create precious memories that will last and that no-one can steal. Now that would really be a deal!