September 2024
Last week I talked about the myth below and how it’s bogus.
Pervasive Self-Care Myth: You deserve the *$80 lotion*, *$600 dress*, *$1,200 coffee maker*…whatever your gazingus pins are.
I’m going to use lotion here for this example…
Continuation of Pervasive Self-Care Myth: “Yes, you could use the $10 drugstore lotion. But isn’t it so much better (And don’t you feel so better?) when you use the pricey $80 bottle that smells like gardens and money?”
Because: THINGS are just that (things!) and the MAGIC is us.
AND…
THINGS matter.
“Wait, didn’t you just say that THINGS are just THINGS…”
Yes, things are just things and they matter but they are NOT magic.
Here we go into both/and land.
So with the example above: our $80 bottle of garden money lotion.
What does this $80 bottle of garden money lotion give to us that the $10 drugstore lotion can’t?
Here’s some possibilities:
- Nicer packaging
- Nicer smell
- Nicer texture
- Better ingredients
- The knowledge that you can buy a $80 bottle of lotion for yourself (and be okay)
- Maybe support of a cause? (Maybe some of that price is donated back)
- Maybe support of a company/the workers/the ingredient sourcing
Plus maybe a few more…
Things are things and things matter. But things are not magic.
It is great that people share and support the things they have in their lives. And we do need to be paying attention to where and how these things in our lives are made. (Energy throughout the whole process is real.)
But the virtue signaling that we all still do with these things, is not helping anyone, is not helping the things that matter. And definitely can mess with our heads and our hearts.
So all this to say, I’m not saying scrap all beauty and what you need and buy everything cheap and utilitarian (though there may be times that is what is needed.) There are many that need to buy the $80 garden money lotion for so many reasons.
It’s always about the intention. Why are you buying/choosing/doing that? Is it coming from a place of love and caring for yourself or a place of lack and emptiness?
Instead of magic lotion – it can be supportive lotion, relaxing lotion, calming lotion, nourishing lotion, practical lotion, useful lotion, pretty lotion, smelly lotion.
They just aren’t magic – we can’t lose sight that it is US that imbues the MAGIC those supportive, calming, etc. items.
Things do matter to us and the items we use can support the MAGIC in us.