I used to be a big-time shopper.
This changed over the course of a few years, when I snapped out of the spell that society had on me.
I didn't feel the need to fit in or be "hip" anymore.
With all the commercials, magazines, music videos, and celebrity following, it was really easy to feel like you needed to be up on the latest trends to be "cool".
In other words, most people want to fit in, and feel like they need to have the latest trends and styles to do so.
I'm so glad I freed myself from this mindset.
Not only can I spend my hard-earned money on other things now, but even more importantly I can be myself.
I can wear the things that I feel are cool, rather than what MTV says is cool.
I don't care about brand names anymore, and am somewhat embarrassed that I used to at all.
I wear clothes that are comfortable and because I love the way they look.
I consider myself a minimalist now.
I own less than 200 personal items in total.
It took a long time to purge my closet of all the fads & trendy styles that I went through over the years, but it felt good.
Now I truly love each and every item in my closet.
There's nothing that I merely 'like'.
There's laundry for me to do, less space that gets taken up, and less clothes to wade through when deciding what to pack.
This doesn't just relate to clothes either.
I accumulated so many gadgets and gizmos that it's not even funny.
I bought chess sets, sleeping bags, and random backpacks like it was nobody's business.
Thankfully I have gotten rid of this bad habit.
Now I spend my money on travel and experiences.
It's so much more fulfilling.
For anyone who feels 'trapped' by their things, I encourage you to give this a try.
Sell your stuff and do something great with the money.
Or donate it to those who might truly need it more than you.
Start slow, but you might just learn to love the process.
I certainly did and I'm not looking back.