Kindred Spirit: The Great American Apparel Diet

Here's a link to a group of women (and a couple of men?) who made a commitment to stop buying new clothes, The Great American Apparel Diet.   They started last September, but it looks like people can join any time.

It's funny, saucy and a similar exercise to what we're doing here, only they are focusing on not bringing more stuff in rather than getting rid of stuff.

I've definitely found myself facing a business meeting, a conference, etc. with the thought that I don't have anything suitable to wear.   This is one of those points of distress, where running out to buy something creates a form of escape.   (As Randy Frost calls it in Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things.)

As it turns out -- and this is also a teaching and learning of meditation --  escape does not create solutions.

Alternately, though, I've been questioning the thought, "I don't have anything suitable to wear," by asking "Is this true?"   And then looking in my closet.   I actually have more to wear than I need.

Duh.

And P.S.   Freaky, this was in the NY Times online today, which I checked after finishing this post and while finishing my coffee...on my way to starting my work!