I have a small blackboard on the wall beside my back door and I’ve been leaving subtle messages or ‘words of wisdom’ for my children to read and the last one I wrote was “it’s better to stand out from the crowd than to fit in”. It got me thinking about how I’ve applied that to all aspects of my life, for most of my adult life, and not follow trends or buy things just for the sake of buying or having them or that everyone else has them.
I just recently watched a really interesting documentary about Steve Jobs “The Man in the Machine”, the founder of Apple, and it really hit home about how much “standing out from the crowd” can be applied there for me. You see, I’ve never owned an Apple product nor know much about them but I’m so glad I never jumped on that bandwagon. I was impressed with his vision and determination but how he marketed his products to make people think that they couldn’t live without them just made me mad. Also, how cheaply the products are made at the risk of people’s lives just for the sake of making a dollar. At the end of the day, that’s all that company cares about. Their shareholders.
I only have to look at my own children and how obsessed with their iPads they are. (I didn’t buy them. Their father did as a way to communicate with him when they are here with me.) It really is near an addiction. I do put limits on their use and maybe they weren’t swayed by Steve Jobs’ marketing ploys but the people who queue for days only to be the first to get the new iPhone is beyond craziness.
Fashion
I like to stay up with the latest fashion trends but it doesn’t mean I go out and buy everything new from the fashion outlets. I use what I already have or pick up what I need (and I mean need, if I have enough clothes that will do, I won’t buy anymore clothes). Year after year, season after season, people are convinced that they need the latest fashion styles and spend up big, whether they have the money or not, for what? Just so they can fit in? I’d much rather stand out from the crowd. I love my own individual style. I wear what I feel comfortable in and whether it keeps me cool in summer and warm in winter. Shouldn’t that be enough?
Homewares
Same goes for homewares. With social media being a huge marketing tool for homeware stores, there is this must have mentality from consumers that they just have to go and buy the stuff whether they need it or not. Our home should be our safe place. A safe and secure place where we can eat our food, rest our head and take shelter from the elements. It shouldn’t be filled with cheap Asian imports especially because retailers are telling us we need it. It’s outrageous. In 6 months time there’ll be another lot of stuff just waiting for consumers to buy it and the stuff they already have will end up as land fill.
Environment
I know we need an economy to make the world go around but at this rate, at what price? There is so much harm being done to the environment manufacturing all this stuff. Why not just use what we have? What’s wrong with hand making adornments for your home from fabric scraps or repurposing old furniture with a makeover? How individual would that be? Wouldn’t that be much better than following the crowd? I know that’s what I prefer to do. It does the same job at the end of the day.
Lesson
And as far as the lesson I’m trying to teach my kids, as they approach the teenage years, the message couldn’t be more appropriate. Already we’ve had one incident with my 11 year old daughter wanting to fit in because her friend convinced her to do something she shouldn’t have. I’ve explained that although it may not seem fair now, when she is older it will all make sense and she’ll realise that we were only out to protect her because of the love we have for her. Standing out from the crowd and being an individual will always be a better lesson for my children to learn whether that goes for behaviour, fashion, homewares, the car they drive or anything they do with their life.
We were born an individual. There is no one else like us in the world so why not stand out from the crowd and don’t be a sheep. Don’t be fooled into following trends. It’s harmful on the environment and your wallet. Save your money for an experience and not stuff.
