Why holiday sales are gasping for breath
The renaissance of sacred exchange
As I scroll through the usual December sales and discount offers in my feed, it occurs me that this sort of holiday season hype will soon feel terribly antiquated. And it’s not just because we move into the predictable January season of remorseful returns. I feel a deeper, more permanent shift that is slowly infusing our buying behavior.
Because what is a “sale” really? It is a time-limited offer designed to motivate immediate purchase. It is fundamentally based in scarcity thinking. Ads that entice us to “get it now” feel hollow when we no longer need to buy things to feel better about ourselves. The impulse to buy — because we can get it cheaper now or because we might not be able to get it later — is such an old paradigm frequency that it starts to strike us as awkward.
The new normal is about: living with less, buying mindfully, and exchange that is relational.
Living with less
As we grow in wholeness, we see how so much of what we buy is unnecessary. We see through the promises of bigger, stronger, faster, richer, sexier, happier. We know the truth now: the sense of lack that these promises are targeting can never be satisfied with things. Minimalism is no longer an aesthetic; it is contentment as embodied practice. Decluttering is a form of self-care, because we know disease breeds within the stagnation of hoarding. We prefer more space, rather than more stuff, because we feel better when universal energy flows through our lives freely. Living with less is not sacrificing; it is making room to be available to Life.
Buying mindfully
Whatever we do buy is carefully considered. We think ahead and plan for purchases. Perhaps we even save for them. We have a priority-ranked wish list of wants beyond our day-to-day needs. We buy things in alignment with our core values, instead of being pushed and pulled by emotions. We choose natural fabrics, organic ingredients, handmade items, and classic styles. We invest in higher-quality items, made from longer lasting materials so they will endure for more than a season. We support makers that share our values — whether it’s because of the way they choose suppliers, or treat employees, or give back to community. We’re willing to spend more to move in alignment with our values. We care about more than just getting the best deal.
Exchange that is relational
In restoring our humanity, we return to relational exchange. We have broken the trance of mechanically trading time for money, and trading money for things. We have remembered that the market is not just a place for commerce; it’s a place for community. We are less enchanted with spending on mass-produced junk to fatten the wallets of billionaires. We are more inclined to support the local bread-maker who knows our kids’ names. We pour into local producers and small businesses because it gives back to us in more than one way. It’s no longer just about the object or experience we’re buying; we want to feel connected with the creator or producer who is providing it.
Holiday sales are no longer relevant in a world where we have awakened from our addiction to mindless consumption, which was rooted in scarcity and lack. As we remember our humanness, conscious exchange is a natural byproduct of that. Objects and experiences are chosen and held with more reverence. We come into right relationship with resource, and the ways we exchange become sacred again.
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