Yesterday was Martin Luther King Day. I spent the day with my beloved mother. One of her favorite things to do is to go shopping! In fact, both of us are very creative beings, and find clothing and fashion a great outlet for creativity, self-expression and power. Style, in general, defines who we are, how we feel and how we’re changing. It is a big component of our identities. For years, I wrote for Haute magazine, an international publication run by a very talented woman whose taste for fashion and art helped me to define what style meant to me. I continue to value and believe in the importance of self expression, but I absolutely hate shopping.
Let me explain. As my mother and I walked into one of the 6 stores we chose to visit yesterday, I observed, mostly women, consumed with clothing. Women primarily shop with other women. They explore various styles from shoes to jackets, pants and dresses and often inquire to their friends whether the pieces they are looking at are “cute”, “fit them”, “Sexy” and even necessary. As they are subconsciously influenced by the ambiance of the stores and the very specific lay out of the aisles, upbeat and positive music saturates their senses helping them to feel like they are having fun and ready to go out. All of this is intended to get them to spend money. As I walked through the various sections of the store, I observed my own engagement in this scenario: I definitely did not NEED any clothes. I was a consumer.
As a consumer I am aware that most of the clothing in most stores is not fair trade and made in sweat shops. Furthermore, while I don’t necessarily buy certain kinds of material, most of what is being sold is made out of petroleum and toxic dyes. To my dismay, the quiet, slithering thoughts throughout these stores are based on how we want to influence other people to think of us so that we can be validated for our appearance. As women continue to buy clothing they don’t need, to influence people that don’t care, so that they can feel sexy, powerful and desirable more and more of their energetic field is becoming depleted.
The electromagnetic field of the human is a sensitive space influenced by consciousness and behaviors, which are based on what we hear, see, taste, smell and feel. This makes our lifestyles very pliable, and actually vulnerable to many low vibrational frequencies. This not only makes intention and fulfillment almost critical, but puts us at risk for sickness, physical exertion, depression and conflict. As I spent the afternoon trying to enjoy my time with my mother and my creativity, I became more and more tired, nauseous, desensitized, apathetic, and hungry. I feel this way every time I shop. Once, while waiting in line at a department store, I almost fainted when I began to listen to women pay for their clothes. These are my personal reactions and my personal experience towards shopping. This is not to say shopping is bad, low vibrational or unhealthy. What I state is my awareness of my reactions towards my experiences.
When we make a physical exchange between our energy, money and a material possession, we are communicating with the universe. The same goes for when we eat a meal, have a conversation with a stranger or do anything in our life. How we do anything, is how we do everything. Being conscious and living a life of intention is one of the most focused ways to constructively create a reality where we can freely express our true identity. When we are expressing all the love and consciousness that we are, we will always feel inspired, uplifted, energized, and happy. I write this blog post today to encourage my readers to be conscious shoppers. Notice what you’re doing and how you feel.
