A couple months ago I wrote a post about my efforts to stay off Facebook six days a week, and I realized that I never followed up on that. I was able to successfully limit my Facebook usage to Fridays for quite a few weeks; however, I found that I really wasn't getting anything out of it. I wasn't using my time in more useful ways, which was what I was originally hoping to accomplish. Now that I'm back to my regular Facebooking schedule, though, I do think that I spend less time on the site. I keep hearing people complain about the changes on Facebook, but honestly I have no idea what they're talking about. I pretty much just log on to check in with friends and respond to conversations. So maybe I did get something out of it--no more brainless scanning of my News Feed.
One good thing that came out of Facebook Fridays was that it challenged me to find an area in my life where I really did need to make a change. I have bigger things to deal with than a slight addiction to commenting on status updates. Around the time that Facebook Fridays started, a friend (the same friend who challenged me to lay off Facebook, actually) admitted to me that his bad habit is texting while driving. I confessed that my bad habit is shopping, and we made an agreement to hold each other accountable while trying to break these bad habits. Every time he texts while driving, he owes a dollar. At the end of the month, the money is donated to an organization that we agreed on. Every time I buy a piece of clothing, I will donate 25 percent of the cost of the item to Dress for Success. I am also going to spend fall break cleaning out my closet and donating items I don't wear to Goodwill. I'm really looking forward to this challenge; as I mentioned in my last post, I want to be less of a consumer. I want to own less, to live more simply, to stop feeling like I'll be happier if I just have a little bit more. I know I'm not the only person who feels this way, so maybe by documenting my efforts here, I can inspire someone else!
I was listening to the Avett Brothers in my car yesterday, and I was struck by the lyrics to their song "Ill with Want." It's funny--I've heard the song dozens of times, but I guess I never paid attention to the words. Here are a couple of the verses:
"I am sick with wanting, and it's evil and it's daunting
How I let everything I cherish lay to waste
I am lost in greed, this time it's definitely me
I point fingers but there's no one there to blame."
"I am sick of wanting and it's evil how it's got me
And every day is worse than the one before
The more I have the more I think I'm almost where I need to be
If only I could get a little more."
Wow. The rest of the song is just as good; look up the words if you want. Or just listen to it because they're awesome.
And a quick update on my shopping efforts: I've actually been pretty good this month. I gave two handmade gifts (photos coming soon), and the only clothing item I purchased was a new shirt with my school logo to wear on an upcoming field trip. It cost about $34 (private school attire doesn't come cheap), so I owe $8.50 this month. I also have a shopping bag full of clothes that I cleaned out of my dresser drawers. I'm off to a good start, and I hope I can keep it up!
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