Fill Your Life With Experiences, Not Things

 

I spent the better part of my 20's in serious debt. Charging handbag after handbag, spending tons of money on crap I really didn't need. I lived in Bloomingdales (no seriously, I was there like every day), and I constantly bought things. Now that I look back, I realize I was filling a serious void. You see, I also spent the better part of my 20's stressed out. I was riddled with anxiety over toxic relationships and obsessed with losing weight; a true recipe for retail disaster. 

I'll never forget the first time I got denied a credit card. I was applying for my fourth card, because I had maxed out all the others, and the woman on the other end of the line told me they'd be sending me a letter in the mail explaining their decision. What!? You mean you weren't putting my shiny new card with a $10,000 limit in the mail so I could hit Louis Vuitton the next day and buy yet another bag that would wind up on the floor of my closet? Luckily someone did put the kibosh on my out of control spending, and luckily I eventually got a really good job and a head on my shoulders so I could not only pay off all that debt, but start figuring out why the hell I got myself there in the first place. 

So many of us are on a constant quest to acquire shit. Whether it's bags, clothes, or shoes, we feel like life will be so much better if we just have one more thing. You know what the sad part is? We could be spending a lot less money on actual experiences in life that not only fill the voids we all have, but help us create memories that transform us into really amazing women. 

When is the last time you did something that you thought about for weeks after? Do you own four pairs of Louboutins but you've never been to Europe? Guess what? You could have bought a round trip ticket to London for the price of ONE of those pairs of red-soled beauties. Life experience is what shapes us. It's what stretches our minds, what opens up our soul in ways we never thought possible. And it doesn't have to cost a fortune. There are tons of creative ways you can start living life.

The next time you feel compelled to go spend your entire paycheck at the mall, do something adventurous instead. Light your entire apartment with candles, buy a cheap bottle of wine and some cheese, and invite your closest girlfriends over for an impromptu girls night. Spend the evening talking about your deepest passions. The stuff you haven't told anyone about yet. Or, if you've got a little money to burn, why not book a trip? What are you waiting for? And if nobody wants to go with you, go alone. The world won't wait forever.

PS -- You know that pretend life you live on Pinterest? It can all be yours. In real life! If you want some inspiration and support for designing YOUR "Champagne Life," then you do not want to miss my next virtual group workshop. Email me if you'd like more information. There are 6 spaces left and they will go fast!