Over the last several months it has been really fun to see who is participating in the 100 Thing Challenge. And it is cool to watch how each individual puts her or his own spin on it.
I thought it might be helpful, though, to reiterate my original intentions in creating the 100 Thing Challenge. Just a reminder of what I hope folk get out of the 100 Thing Challenge, even if they put their own spin on it.
American-style consumerism preaches that we people can have an ideal life, if we get the right stuff.
I removed stuff from that equation with my 100 Thing Challenge.
My life is not about buying my way to perfection. It's about participating in meaningful endeavors.
I underlined all the words and phrases that are "loaded," that have significantly more meaning than can be expressed by the word alone. (There's a book that explains them.)
It is understandable that many people plug the 100 Thing Challenge into their efforts to de-clutter or live simply or redress consumer debt. The 100 Thing Challenge is a great fit for these issues, even though they were not my priority when I created the 100 Thing Challenge.
The 100 Thing Challenge is about breaking free from the spurious message of American-style consumerism that has turned many of us into habitual shoppers. It is about the humble admission that we cannot buy perfection no matter how many times we visit the mall, because we humans cannot be perfect. The 100 Thing Challenge is about removing our facade of consumer stuff to reveal our real selves. And it is about the finding joy.
Comments