Musings of a young black weirdo

Posts tagged ‘maybelline’


I’m gonna preface this post by informing/reminding yall of something really quickly: I’m like 80% hippie, but I’m gonna try really hard to make this NOT into a rant about how the government and corporations don’t care about us. Ok, with that being said, here’s my latest post *pulls back curtains*

Look around. Right now. Look around you, especially if you’re in your house/room. Do you see all the stuff everywhere?! Now look again, but this time, look slower. Make a mental note of all the stuff you haven’t looked at, touched, or interacted with in more than a month. Granted, most of the stuff you use frequently is in plain sight, but bear with me. Since you haven’t interacted with this item in more than a month, why do you still have it? Is it sentimental, something really trendy that you have only worn/used once, or maybe a book/magazine you finished reading last year?

Stuff tends to accumulate quickly. A keychain here, a shirt there, a DVD somewhere… They clutter our rooms, our minds, and our lives. We buy it or get it for free. We collect it, clean it, lose it. We allow it to take up space in our [usually cramped] living spaces. For what? Does it add value to your life? Does it truly make you happy? [I’m gonna pause here so you can think about that one.] And while you’re thinking about that, think about the things in life that make you happy, whether it be puppies, your significant other, or going to the beach. I’m willing to bet the things that make you happy aren’t sitting around cluttering up your room.

Advertisers are paid to make you think you need more stuff. More stuff to be more productive, more happy, more beautiful, and more perfect. Yall know how I feel about perfect. [Hint: read my last post 🙂 ] Perfect is in the eyes of the beholder. So are productive, happy, and beautiful. When was the last time Google Docs, Kevin Hart, or Maybelline made anyone happy? You are bombarded with advertisements for everything dozens [hundreds?] of times a day. Buy this, eat that, go here. For what? For happiness? I can guarantee you were happy that time you went to that party because you were slightly inebriated with your friends, not because you were dripping sweat in a $15 brand new dress from Charlotte Russe and some Cover Girl makeup.

How often do we buy things because they’re trendy, new, or the latest updated version? Why do we do this? So we can compete with everyone else? So we can feel worthy? So we can feel important? More importantly: does it work? Do you put on your new J’s and feel important? Or are you secretly sick to your stomach that you just spent $200 on shoes that are too expensive to get dirty wear? How often do people come in your house and look at your collection of J’s that are never worn… in boxes… in the back of your closet?


I’m not telling you to get rid of everything you own. If you feel the need to, go ahead. Google “minimalism;” you’re in good company. What I am telling you is that your self-worth and self-esteem don’t come from stuff. They come from inside you, and no amount of designer clothes, iWhatevers, or food can change that. You control your stuff. Don’t let stuff control you.


The next time you’re in the mall, watching tv, or flipping through a magazine, I challenge you: look at an advertisement and realize that the newest Polo shirt, junk food, or hair product won’t make you happy. YOU decide what makes you happy, not some advertising executive 2,000 miles away.
