In My Opinion, Materialism Is Both An Healthy And Unhealthy Way Of Viewing Life

Before I share my set of beliefs on the idea of materialism, I have a poem I would like to start with! It’s called Temporary Happiness. I hope you enjoy this insightful poem!

Material things

provide temporary happiness.

The pang of delight and joy

will vanish as quick as a cheetah.

For everlasting jubilation,

choose people, pets,

nature, knowledge, creativity

and places.

Objects like chubby piles of money,

designer purses and clothes

and luxurious vehicles

are just things you possess.

Ownership of exorbitant things

is not the answer

if you want endless joy

and gratitude for your existence.

Like I stated in the poem Money Eater, I grappled with a shopping addiction for the majority of my youth. I had a fear of running out of things like puzzles, books, clothing, hair accessories, etc, so I would always depend on my mom or dad to buy me things every weekend, even though it wasn't the norm. As I matured, I’ve had more time to learn about the essence of "enjoying the little things in life", and how we don't need to rely on material objects to feel blissful and satisfied with ourselves.

It took me quite a couple years to recognize that I don't need to keep buying, buying, buying to be happy, and now I'm able to practice enjoying the smallest things like hanging out with trees, listening to binaural beats in my bedroom, smelling flowers, making myself a nice bowl of oatmeal to enjoy at home, and spending quality time with family and friends without expecting any big plans. More than ever, I'm feeling more grateful for what I have, and I believe that I'm having an easier time adapting to change when I don't expect to make any big plans with people. Just enjoying the presence of others is just as meaningful as doing something as big and pricey like going to an amusement park, or dining at the highest-rated restaurants in downtown Toronto.

Even though I'm gradually overcoming the "materialistic", and "the need to plan big" mindset, there are material objects that I will possess for the rest of my life and will have no problem spending money on. However, there are tons of items that I won't bother investing in, mainly because I believe they are unessential and futile for daily living. It's mainly feeling the necessity to spend money unnecessarily, and having the phobia of running out that's psychologically toxic.

In general, having a materialistic approach to pure happiness and satisfaction is psychologically unhealthy. This is because most material things can only make us happy for a short period of time, and then they’re just things that we either own or use up quickly. For example, money can get us excited temporarily, but then we end up using all of it. Money is something we need for everyday living, but it’s not our first thing we should depend on to achieve pure happiness. On the other hand, family, friends, books, nature, trips to multiple destinations, and prayer are beneficial to our long-term intellectual, spiritual, mental, physical, emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Although books are considered material things, they help us mentally grow, and achieve a state of serenity. They’re not just material things that you own or use up rapidly.

Here are the five main material objects that I'll collect and invest in for the rest of my existence!

1. Books

Like I’ve mentioned in many Vocal stories and poems, books are my number 1 objects to preserve and respect for my entire time on this planet. For longtime bookworms like myself, books aren’t just material possessions you purchase and collect; they’re our best friends, therapists, teachers, doctors, and nurses. Books mean more than anything to us, and they’re something we refuse to relinquish. I have a massive collection of books, and it’ll stay that way until I’m gone.

2. Gadgets

I know gadgets are quite materialistic for the average person, but I'm in love with my iPhone, iPad, PC and headphones. Gadgets are a favourite of many people with Autism, especially those who are addicted to music, YouTube, surfing the web, emailing, FaceTiming, and mobile gaming. Gadgets like phones and iPads are essential to have, because they allow you to relish all of your favourite activities in the dark, connect with your loved ones from afar, complete projects with ease, and go online shopping! This is especially the case for me, since I'm the kind of person who loves playing mobile games, going on Wikipedia, watching YouTube videos, listening to music, and reading books without having to turn on the lights. My iPhone, iPad, and computer are the three main gadgets I cannot survive without. They're like my babies. I invest in them.

3. Essential Oils

Essential oils are one of my loves. I’ve been big into essential oils since I was in college. The first few years of early adulthood was a challenge I’ve had to overcome. It was difficult to overcome, and I had lots of bumps in the road. Besides reading, listening to music, communing with nature, spending time with friends/family, playing Candy Crush Saga, and volunteering, I relied heavily on essential oils. I’m the type of person who’s fascinated by smell, so essential oils made a huge difference for me. Once I take a huge sniff of lavender or geranium oil, my stress, tension, and anxiety melts away. Essential oils are one of the material things I’m reluctant to deprive myself of, because they’re an advantage to my long-term mental health.

4. Sneakers

Since I was in my tweens, I’ve been a huge fan of sneakers! I wear them with everything and I wear them everywhere I go, regardless of the weather. From my point of view, sneakers give me a sense of freedom, because I can walk anywhere and how long I wish without feeling excruciating pain in my feet. I also believe that wearing and collecting sneakers also make me feel more like myself. I don’t have to wear girly shoes to make myself look or feel more feminine. I’m a woman, and that won’t change. Shoes don’t determine what gender I am.

5. T-Shirts

I'd have to admit that I've been a t-shirt junkie since I was seven years old. My favourite kinds of t-shirts were those cartoon t-shirts that I'd often find and buy from a local souvenir shop, Old Navy, Camp Connection, Walmart, Bluenotes, and Hot Topic. Occasionally, I don't mind wearing plain coloured t-shirts however, I'd rather wear graphic t-shirts with cartoon characters, celebrities, patterns, plants, or images on them, because they're more pleasing and attractive. I've always enjoyed wearing t-shirts with a comfy pair of leggings, a nice pair of jeans, a skirt, a cozy pair of sweatpants, and a pair of sneakers! Wearing preppy attire makes me feel relaxed, and encourages me to have fun and worry less about growing up. T-shirts will be here to stay and the only time I'll stop wearing and collecting t-shirts is when I die.

Now that I've mentioned the 5 main material objects I'd treasure forever, here are the five material possessions I don't care for, mainly because I don't think they'll make a huge impact on my long-term wellbeing.

1. Designer Purses

Purses are a useful thing to have, I get it! Even though they are one of the most essential accessories to possess, I don’t feel that I need to have a purse that’s too fancy and expensive, especially when I’m using a purse to keep all of my valuables zipped up in. Just like wearing a backpack to guard your textbooks, laptop, lunch bag, and other necessities, a purse is worn when you go out to the mall, the cinema, a restaurant, and the grocery store. In my opinion, purses aren’t designed for women to carry on their shoulders and silently brag about how glamorous they are. Why would I need to shop for a designer purse if I’m only going to use a purse to protect my valuables while I’m out and about?! I could simply purchase and use an affordable purse of any colour and fabric.

2. Makeup

When I was in elementary school, I took pleasure in purchasing, collecting and wearing various types of eyeshadow, lipgloss and lipstick from Claires, as well as those fruity-smelling and brightly-tinted LipSmacker lipglosses that you'd find at your local drugstore, dollar store and/or department store. As I got older and became more intellectual, my passion for makeup came to a halt. From my perspective, makeup is a huge waste of money, simply because it's something you utilize to show off and conceal your inner beauty. It's nice to wear makeup and get dolled up for a special occasion, but wearing makeup every day is not necessary, especially if you're going to school, the park, the library, or work. In my case, G-d gave me naturally red lips, rosy-cheeks and fair skin, so why should I collect and spend a fortune on accessories that will take my natural beauty for granted? I'm basically disrespecting myself by selling myself to random men, telling myself to not embrace who I really am, and telling G-d that I don't appreciate what's been given to me at birth.

3. Jewellery

One fascinating thing I want to share before explaining why I don’t care to keep any jewellery in my room is, I got my ears pierced as a baby, and I’ve had pierced ears throughout my childhood. It wasn’t until I reached my late teenage years when I stopped wearing earrings, mainly because I found them to be an unneeded accessory for me to wear.

Besides earrings, I also took pride in wearing the odd necklace, bracelet, and very rarely, an anklet. I was super girly as a child, and didn’t mind the bling. Now, I don’t care for jewellery, mainly because it’s a waste of money, I’d get easily distracted from continuously playing with them, and looking at myself in the mirror while I’m wearing jewellery. I know girls and women have a penchant for jewellery, and believe that they look more attractive when wearing jewellery, I believe that jewellery won’t make me prettier. From my perspective, wearing jewellery made from silver, bronze, gray, metal, and/or coloured beads would create a distraction for G-d, because He wouldn’t be able to see how innately gorgeous and stunning I truly am. He would feel that I’m covering myself up with artifically-made things as opposed to my naturally rosy lips, turquoise blue eyes, and voluminous, stunning and thick head of auburn-brown hair that almost skims the middle of my back.

4. DVD’s and CD’s

I used to be a film buff way back in the 2000’s, but not so much anymore. When I was in elementary school, my mom, brother, and I would pay regular visits to the cinemas, and various DVD/CD shops in the community. My mom is a film buff herself, and she’s always taken pleasure in building a DIY colossal movie library. Now that Netflix took over our lives, the DIY DVD library is gradually getting smaller, and becoming less of a home feature!

As I went from a movie-addicted child to an intellectual, TV-is-toxic-for-you type of nerd, I no longer had the desire to purchase and collect DVD’s. As an adult who seldom watches movies but rather TV shows on Netflix, I believe DVD shopping is an absolute money-waster! I’ll never use them, so why waste my money on material DVD’s that I’ll never utilize?! In my opinion, Netflix is much more fulfilling, than watching TV series and films on DVD. I refuse to take this magical invention for granted!

5. Hair Colour

When I was a teenager, I was obsessed with dying my hair. This was primarily because many kids at my school dyed their hair all different colours like blue, purple, black, yellow, green, pink, etc. It was quite the trend, so I figured I'd try it out, so I can fit in! Now as an adult and someone who wants longer hair, I quit spending money on hair colour. It may satisfy me for a few days, but then the hair dye eventually wears out. Since hair dye (mainly boxed hair dye) fades out quickly, there's no point in me dying my hair just to please myself and conform to the beliefs of other youth my age or a little younger. What will make me the happiest is when I accept myself for my natural beauty, and embrace my natural hair colour. I can't take that away from myself, because it will make me forget the real me. Why spend money on a useless hair product that will force me to conform to the beliefs of other youth and young adults in the modern world?!

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