"Black Friday"=BOO!!!!!

Hello lovelies,
I am back for a new post! Let me just start by saying this week was absolutely CRAZY for me, and I could not be more ready for the much needed weekend. I'm sure I am not the only one feeling this way. We all need to celebrate making it this far without exploding.

Well, the holiday season is quickly approaching! It doesn't feel like it's time that time of year, but it indeed is. I really love November. It's a month that id dedicated to reflecting on all the good and beautiful blessings we have in our lives. I could not be more thankful for my incredible family, friends, school, home, and opportunities I've been exposed to. The only thing I hate about November is this thing called "Black Friday". For those of you who are not from the United States, "Black Friday" occurs the Friday after our Thanksgiving Day. It's when stores have sales and big discounts, and people wait in lines at midnight in order to fight each other for sales. There have been many injuries from Black Friday shopping and the length of lines at stores is ridiculous. The thing I find most ironic is that this happens immediately after Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving and November is about being grateful for what we already have. We all have something to be thankful for , yet we fight with other people just to buy more stuff for us. (and most of the stuff we buy on Black Friday, we really do NOT need!)

We have an epidemic of greed in our culture. We obsess over what we need and want instead of looking a what we already have. I know I am very guilty of thinking I need all this stuff, but telling myself "I need!" and "I want!" has made me very sad and unhappy. The more I buy for myself, the more more I need in order to stay happy. Guess what? There will always be that new phone, new clothes, new toy, etc. Materials such as toys, clothes, and gadgets will only keep you happy for so long until you see the next big, new, shiny thing in the stores. However, if you and I focus on the amazing gifts we have such as family, friends, homes, schools, churches, our resources, then we will be able to feel joy and peace. Black Friday ultimately steals our joy and love. I think you and I can all agree we want peace, joy, and kindness to reign over our lives.

I am not saying we can't shop and have fun. I'm not saying buying stuff is bad. I'm not saying we must throw away all our possessions and feel guilty for buying stuff. I am just saying, our mindset should be full of gratitude and joy over what we already have. Gratitude needs to be first on our minds. We can still buy new things, but don't buy things just because you think it'll make you happy. The truth is no material and earthly thing can ever keep you happy forever. However, things like gratitude,  joy, peace, and compassion will make you feel a lot better.

I apologize for the length of this post. I just had to vent about how I've seen greed ruin lives. It's the holiday season and we should be full of joy and cheer, not sadness and stress.

XOXO
Chloe