The Razzle Dazzle Is Getting Ridiculous: Are We Paying More to Enjoy Life Less?
By QueenB.Divine | NOTICE THIS...
NOTICE THIS: The more dazzling something becomes, the less you might actually be getting. And I don't know about you, but I'm getting a little tired of all the razzle dazzle, the bells, the whistles, the flashing buttons and the constant attempts to get another dollar out of my pocket. Can we just enjoy something anymore without somebody trying to sell us seventeen other things before we get to the cash register?
Anyway, before I get into my little rant, how are you? How's life treating you? Have you had a moment to actually think today? I mean really think. Not scroll, not react, not tap something, not answer another notification. Just sit there with your own thoughts and figure out what the heck is going on around you.
Because I'm noticing something, and it's getting harder to ignore.
We are living in a world that seems to be getting more complicated, more expensive and more distracting, while the actual human experience sometimes feels like it's getting smaller. More technology, more convenience, more choices, more buttons, more opportunities to spend money. But are we actually getting more enjoyment out of life?
Or are we just getting better at handing over our money?
I remember when you could walk into a grocery store, pick up what you needed, head to the checkout and leave. There might have been a few chocolate bars on one side and some magazines on the other. Simple. You knew where you were going. You paid for your groceries, maybe had a little conversation with the cashier, and went home.
Now? Good Lord.
You have to navigate what feels like five miles of blankets, candles, socks, candy, seasonal decorations, miniature kitchen gadgets and things you didn't even know existed before you can get to somebody who will take your money.
I'm standing there thinking, I came in here for milk. Why am I suddenly being offered a decorative ceramic mushroom and a three-pack of fuzzy socks?
And don't get me wrong. I like fuzzy socks. I might even appreciate a good decorative mushroom. But I didn't come here for either one.
That's the part that gets me.
The shopping experience has become an obstacle course of temptation. Instead of making it easier for customers to get what they need, some retailers seem determined to make sure we walk past everything we don't need first.
And the funny thing is, we're supposed to believe all this extra razzle dazzle is for our benefit.
Really?
Because from where I'm standing, it looks like somebody figured out that if they put enough shiny nonsense between me and the exit, I might accidentally spend another twenty dollars.
And then there's shrinkflation.
Oh, don't even get me started.
Remember when you could buy a chocolate bar and actually feel like you bought a chocolate bar? Now you open the package, look inside and wonder whether somebody already had a bite before you got there.
The packaging is still smiling at you. The price certainly hasn't gotten shy. But the product? Apparently it's been on a weight-loss program without telling anybody.
We're paying more and sometimes receiving less, and the marketing is working overtime to convince us we're getting something wonderful.
That's what I mean by the razzle dazzle.
It's not always about what you're being given. Sometimes it's about what you're being distracted from noticing.
And then there's the way we pay for everything.
Do you remember those old credit card machines? The ones where somebody had to put your card into that contraption and slide the thing across with a great big CH-CHUNK?
You practically needed a small workout to complete a purchase.
Then came debit cards. Then chip cards. Then tapping.
Now we can spend money so quickly that our brains barely have time to ask whether we actually wanted the thing.
Tap. Gone. Tap. Gone. Tap.
What the hell did I just buy?
Don't get me wrong. Technology has made life easier in plenty of ways. I appreciate convenience. But I also wonder whether we've made spending so effortless that we've forgotten the value of taking a moment to think.
And thinking, my friends, is one of the most underrated self-care tools we've got.
I remember being in school and the teacher saying, "Show your work."
Remember that?
You couldn't just scribble down an answer and expect full marks. You had to show how you got there.
Well, I'm beginning to think life works the same way.
You don't necessarily have to show your work to the world, but you certainly should be able to show it to yourself.
Why did I buy that? Why am I feeling irritated? Why am I scrolling through social media when I should probably be sleeping? Why do I feel exhausted after spending an hour supposedly relaxing?
Those are questions worth asking.
Because if we're not paying attention, the world has a thousand different ways to spend our money, our attention and our energy before we've even had our morning coffee.
And speaking of irritation, can we talk about tipping for a minute?
I worked as a waitress for many moons, so I understand the work that goes into serving people. I understand how important tips can be to somebody trying to make a living.
But these days, you can practically buy a bottle of water and have a payment machine ask whether you'd like to add 18%, 20% or 25%.
For what?
For handing me the bottle I picked up myself?
Now, before somebody throws a tomato at me, I believe in appreciating good service. Absolutely. But I also believe a person should be able to make a choice without feeling like the machine is silently judging their character.
I swear, sometimes I feel like the payment terminal is staring at me.
Are you sure you don't want to tip?
Yes, little machine. I'm sure. Please let me go home.
And this is where the conversation gets a little deeper.
Because all these tiny frustrations add up.
The crowded stores. The rising prices. The smaller packages. The endless advertising. The notifications. The subscriptions. The checkout prompts. The pressure to buy, click, follow, subscribe, upgrade, engage and spend.
It's a lot.
And if you're not careful, you can spend your entire day reacting to things somebody else has placed in front of you.
That's not much of a life, is it?
And sometimes showing the work means recognizing when something is draining you and deciding you're not going to keep handing it your energy.
It might mean walking past the shiny nonsense at the checkout without buying anything. It might mean putting your phone down instead of opening another app. It might mean saying no to something you don't need, even when it's on sale.
Because let's face it, buying something for forty dollars that you didn't need just because it used to cost eighty dollars doesn't mean you saved forty dollars.
You spent forty dollars.
Congratulations.
And social media? Oh, that's another whole circus.
As a creator, I appreciate what technology and social platforms have made possible. I love being able to share my thoughts, connect with people and build something from an idea that started in my own head.
But have you noticed how complicated some of these platforms have become?
Every time you turn around, there's another feature, another button, another dashboard, another tool promising to help you grow.
Meanwhile, you're sitting there thinking, Could somebody please just let me create something and share it with another human being?
Artificial intelligence has opened up some incredible creative possibilities. I've enjoyed exploring those possibilities myself. But adding more technology doesn't automatically mean adding more value.
Sometimes simplicity is the thing we're actually missing.
A real conversation. A genuine laugh. A useful idea. A little inspiration that doesn't come wrapped in seventeen advertisements and a request for your email address.
That's the kind of experience I want more of.
And it's one of the reasons I started making CellPhellow™.
I wanted to create something with my own hands. Something useful. Something that wasn't just another flashing screen asking for attention.
A CellPhellow is a handmade phone holder, a little pillow or resting place for your phone, created using materials that can include reclaimed fabrics. Each handmade piece has its own character, and the idea behind it is pretty simple.
Your phone needs somewhere to rest. And so do you.
You can put your phone in or on your CellPhellow, take your hands off the screen and give yourself a moment to enjoy the world without having to participate in every little thing happening on it.
It's not going to solve every problem in your life. I'm not selling magic beans here.
But I do believe small reminders can make a difference in how we spend our days.
And working with reclaimed materials has taught me something else. Just because something isn't brand-new doesn't mean it doesn't have value. Sometimes the most interesting things come from giving something a second purpose instead of constantly demanding something new.
That's a lesson I think our consumer-driven world could use a little more of.
And yes, you can explore my handmade CellPhellows and self-care creations at CellPhellow.com.
But more importantly, I want you to start noticing how you feel as you move through your day.
Are you enjoying your experiences, or just getting through them? Are you buying things because you want them, or because somebody has become exceptionally good at convincing you that you do? Are you using your phone, or is your phone using up your attention?
And here's another little thing I've learned.
When I wake up in the morning, I don't always jump straight out of bed anymore. I like to sit for a moment, get my bearings and let myself wake up before I start racing into the day. It's a simple habit, but I appreciate that little pause.
Maybe that's what we need more of.
A pause before the purchase. A pause before the reaction. A pause before the argument. A pause before the next scroll.
A moment to ask, Does this actually add something good to my life?
Because not everything that sparkles is valuable. Not everything that's convenient is necessary. And not everything demanding your attention deserves it.
The world isn't entirely filled with people who don't care about us. There are wonderful people, honest businesses, generous creators and genuinely useful innovations out there. I know that.
But there are also plenty of systems designed to encourage us to spend more, stay longer and keep coming back.
That's why I believe self-love has to become something we actually practice, not just something we post on a pretty background.
Self-care isn't always a bubble bath and a candle. Sometimes it's walking out of a store with exactly what you came in for. Sometimes it's declining a purchase. Sometimes it's closing an app. Sometimes it's refusing to let every little irritation steal the rest of your afternoon.
And sometimes it's simply deciding that your peace is worth more than somebody else's razzle dazzle.
So here's my question for you.
Have you noticed that the more bells and whistles we get, the less simple life seems to become?
Or am I just getting older and less impressed with shiny nonsense?
Either way, I'm going to keep thinking, keep creating, keep laughing at the ridiculous things I notice and keep reminding myself that I don't have to participate in every circus that comes to town.
If you enjoy these raw, everyday conversations about self-love, mental wellness and the things nobody seems to question anymore, come hang out with me on The Self Love Daily Channel with QueenB.Divine. No need to pretend life is perfect. We're figuring it out as we go.
And before you head out today, remember this:
The world can keep its razzle dazzle. Give me something real. Give me a little peace. Give me a reason to smile that doesn't require tapping my credit card.
Take care of you.
Because self-love and self-care will get you there.
And for goodness' sake, don't let the fuzzy socks at the checkout convince you otherwise.
— QueenB.Divine
NOTICE THIS... The more they try to dazzle you, the more important it becomes to ask what you're actually getting. need to meditate on it
Explore: CellPhellow™ | The Self Love Daily Channel
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