1. Firstly, try this: See how clever your brain is - without even trying.
A patient of mine brought this in for me during the week. It feels so weird to be able to read it! My patient thought that I might like it - as I enjoy writing and words.
Try it. Your brain will amaze you:
Typoglycemia
I cdnuol't blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg.
The phaonmneal pweor of the mnid.
Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch taem at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can stlil raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Such a cdonition is arppoiatpely cllaed Typoglycemia.
Amzaanig huh? And yuo awlyas thought slpeling was ipmorantt.
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I sent a copy of the Typoglycemia thing to all of my friends - as it is amazing. I knew about the phenomenon but I didn't realize how easy it was to read the above mess of letters. I'm sure that there are similarly many other things that our brains can do - that we just take for granted as they are mostly done subconsciously. But … wow!
Hence the clothing brand name (in Australia): Fcuk. No wonder many people feel uncomfortable with that brand-name written on their t-shirts - especially if worn to work or anywhere with older relatives attending. It's not just you who could misread the word. The name was no coincidence.
I have had fun this week writing e-mails to friends with the above 'messed up writing.' It still hasn't got old for me … yet.
Permission to throw out the dictionary! Who needs it? Isn't the main thing that your message got through to the reader? And if anyone suggests to you that you might like to check the spelling of a word - let them know it was deliberate to demonstrate and have fun with the phenomenon of 'Typoglycemia' (even if it wasn't of course).
I'm joking - but still it is amazing that even with scores of spelling mistakes - we can still read most things - easily - and therefore understand the content.
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2. The 'stuff' in our lives:
I do promise to finish the third part of my bungalow story next week - but this week my family moved house and my life is still sitting in the many boxes piling in the rooms of the new house.
Yes - I have stuff and therefore I am. I am my things.
Of course, I jest! I read about a writer who has a picture in her study featuring two monks talking. One monk is saying to the other monk: 'Do you ever miss having stuff?' Poignant. Interesting. Amusing - as the answer for many of us is :' Yes! Of course I miss having my stuff !'
I told my eleven year old daughter about the picture with the monks and I asked her what she thought about the question. Would she miss having her stuff - if she still had her health and her family and the love and respect of others and her freedom and all of these other wonderful but intangible possessions?
She gave the question due consideration (3 microseconds I think it was) and responded with a resounding: 'Yes! I would miss my stuff! A lot! Is that a rhetorical question or what?' She then looked at me suspiciously and a little unnerved. What was I planning??!
However, moving house is like an ultimate 'Spring clean.' It is a rude shock to discover how much stuff we all buy and don't need - at all!
In Psychology they call 'advertising' the 'art of persuasion.' That is - to persuade all of us (buyers) that we need things - that we were not previously aware were necessary to us or were even missing from our lives (because they probably weren't!) Obviously it has worked too well on me. I have a ridiculous amount of stuff that I have never used nor needed. I am clearly mere putty in the retailer's marketing hands!
Persuasion in advertising has us buying many things that we don't need. For example, if we have 10 toy cars - why not buy another 20 - but in a slightly different colour? Absolutely - we often respond! Why didn't I think of that? If we have three jackets, and never wore two of them or even all three of them, then why not buy another couple of jackets? But with slightly different buttons and an extra pocket. What a great idea! And maybe I'll get one in a couple of extra colours as well! Or, at least, that is what I usually do - unfortunately.
Put like that it all sounds ridiculous. However, somehow it all seemed like such a good idea at the time. Until the credit card statement comes in the mail. Ouch!
Mindfulness of the process of 'persuasion in advertisement' is useful as often the effects of advertising and our response in buying - are automatic and subconscious. At least we can have a chance at resisting - if we are consciously aware of the process.
It is probably a good idea to avoid the shops, as much as possible, and, if you do go, to bring a list. Psychologists are often involved in the planning of malls and shops - and persuasion with advertising is everywhere. They are likely stronger than you - when it comes to convincing you to part with you money. Scary but true.
Also, having a savings goal - can help in motivating change in spending behaviour. The savings may be purely to reduce debt. Also, replacing a shopping recreation with some other recreation - can help. Writing. Walking. Reading. Learning something new … cooking classes or knitting or crochet or judo?! To fill your spare time - away from the shops. Like over-eating - spending can be done when you're bored.
Also, I think it's important to let yourself have some 'fun-spending-money' each week. A little fun with your money - so you bend and don't break later - with a spending-splurge. A nice coffee and cake during the day. A bottle of perfume occasionally and some lovely soaps. Otherwise, I know for me, if I try to save too fiercely I'll act like a tight-arse for a couple of weeks - then I am likely to go on a big credit card binge… and give up on it all. It is too hard and too boring - without a few fun spends … but small ones. They're still fun.
One of my many weaknesses is shopping, alas. But I will fill a six cubic meter skip-bin this week - with barely used stuff - after the house shift. Also, I have taken many boxes of almost new stuff to charity shops over the last week as well. I would prefer, however, that I now had many 'tens of thousands of dollars' in my purse instead.
I have a friend who is a self-made millionaire. She's in her forties, like me. She is a mother of three. She lives in a beautiful house which is completely paid off. She has a rental property which is also completely paid off. She has over $100,000 in her bank account… and this sum is growing every week. She never worries about money.
You may think that she and her husband work incredibly hard in highly paid jobs. But they don't! She is a stay-at-home mum and her husband works four days each week earning less than $30,000/year. Her bank manager repeatedly tells her that he has customers who are not coping financially on more than $100,000/year incomes. He tells her often that she could teach other people about finances. Practical advice.
My friend is a 'money whiz'. She has no university degree in high finance. She doesn't invest in complex investment strategies. She simply follows a few basic rules. I'll write a blog with her at some time (when I'm less busy) - about how she does it. But one thing she has told me over the years - is that I buy way too much stuff I don't need.
She sees all this stuff that other people don't need, hardly used, at the garage sales which she frequents on week-ends. She buys and sells this stuff for a fraction of what was paid for it… by people like me. Suckers to the persuasion of advertising.
She sees all this stuff that other people don't need, hardly used, at the garage sales which she frequents on week-ends. She buys and sells this stuff for a fraction of what was paid for it… by people like me. Suckers to the persuasion of advertising.
I see what she means now - with all the stuff I'm throwing in my skip-bin or the charity-shop collection bins. I'm one of those 'garage-sale' people that she laughs about.
But from mindfulness (about the power of advertising over you) - may come a spending change (that is less spending, people!).
From the spending change and discipline - may come habit.
And from habit - may come routine.
And from routine - may come … savings and financial security and time and freedom for you.
And with this - may come contentment and happiness.
And you deserve it. Not to just be a slave to consumerism. Endlessly trying to pay off bills.
Also, consider this with saving money: Saving money doesn't just equate to buying more stuff in the future. It doesn't make you greedy and a tight-arse to want to save. It's way better than that! Saving can give you time and freedom:
Time - away from working too hard - to endlessly pay more bills. Time to spend with the people you care about - and also time just for you to have more of a rest,
and
Freedom - to do a job, maybe, that you truly enjoy but could never consider as you had to endlessly work, in the job you hate or find completely uninspiring, to pay for all the bills that you have.
Or you may gain the freedom to have a hobby that you previously couldn't afford to do - due to lack of time or finances.
Or you may gain the freedom to have a hobby that you previously couldn't afford to do - due to lack of time or finances.
Life is short - vita brevis - but spending less money on stuff - could equate to time and freedom for you. To escape the working 'rat-race.' To achieve more of a work-life balance. To do what you have always wanted to do in your life. Or to find time to work out ... what that is!
At laest tihnk aobut it. Rememebr the wrod … persuasion wtih advertiisng. Wroth some thguoht.
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So I hpoe erveynoe has a lveoly week and smoe baeuitufl cfofee and snusihne and I wlil fnisih my Bnulago prat trhee stroy nxet week. Hvae a ncie week.
It is rlealy fun to wirte lkie tihs. Try it. Myabe, try wirtnig to smeonoe and srupirse tehm wtis how samrt tehir barin is. And tehy dndi't eevn konw taht tehy cuold do tihs! Myabe, I'm jsut esaliy amsued.
If you enjoyed this blog - you may like to share it with someone … or not, of course.
But - do have a lovely week. And it's a good thing to buy yourself a lovely coffee (or tea or … insert beverage of choice) and enjoy some relaxation time in the sun. Life is meant to be fun - at least some of the time.
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