The Better-izing Bandwagon / The Better-izing Bandwagon

The time has come to discuss a very serious subject, and for some of you it may cause a visceral reaction. Pumpkin Spice. Thankfully, I have not been captivated by the Pumpkin Spice craze, but I know that for many of you, the fall season is filled with fluffy sweaters, rustling leaves and pumpkin spice lattes. Many seem to have a deep seated belief that this is how God intended coffee to taste. I have enough vices thank you, especially with food, so on behalf of my middle aged derriere (which I consistently work on not expanding) I am thankful to have passed on the persuasiveness of this particular indulgence.  Let’s face it, the trend of Pumpkin Spice everything has become a fixation for the masses.  

I’m not afraid to say it—I’ve always been a rebel. If it means I get a few smashed pumpkins at my door, I can handle it. The way I see it, I’m saving pumpkins! Yes that’s right. I’m a Pumpkin Saver! I save them from a fate worse than death. Truth be told, I’d much rather be a carved pumpkin giving children and adults pleasure on a front porch and ultimately ending up in a squirrels stomach, than a dreaded GMO spiced concoction barely resembling what I once was (which, by the way, is a gift from Mother Earth to be appreciated). So I’ll say it …..

…. Pumpkin Spice (everything) is not so nice (sigh).

We hardly have food in our food anymore….but that’s another blog.

Lately I have noticed that this flavorful, frothy, overpriced concoction has turned into so much more than just a trendy syrup in our morning coffee. It has actually become an “event” in cities and towns throughout the USA.  While grocery shopping this week for my friend Kathy Wesselman’s soup recipe ingredients, I crossed paths with a pretentiously placed stack of Pumpkin Spiced Cheerios in the crème de la crème location of our supermarket. And yesterday on my facebook thread, scrolled right there in front of me….please imagine the sound of a drumroll…..was an ad for Pumpkin Spice BOLOGNA….. cue my eye roll please!  Are you freaking kidding me? Listen, I don’t care if you love Pumpkin Spice lattes. That is fine by me. If you want to take a bath in Pumpkin Spice, go for it. But why do we as humans think we must better-ize (yes I know better-ize is not a word) everything?!

Does the world really need Pumpkin Spice bologna? I don’t eat bologna. I haven’t for 40 years. I’m not really sure bologna is that good for you, so I can’t help asking myself, do we as a human race really need another variation of processed meat?  It boggles my mind that there are people being paid what I assume is quite a pretty sum of money to figure out how to better-ize something we probably don’t need to be consuming to begin with. Can I get an “Wings Up”?

The better-izing bandwagon is bonkers! Of course, we really can’t blame pumpkins for this, nor can we blame the pumpkin spice inventors. We have to go to the source. The source is a society that makes us feel inadequate and unworthy. A society selling the feeling that if we could buy that one key element we were missing— that “poof”— we would have less wrinkly eyes or less jiggly thighs and we would be so much better! And once we’ve obtained that better badass bodacious bauble, whatever that bauble may be, all will be right in our world.  Pleeeaase!

Why is it that when we try something new that is really, really good we need to better-ize it, improve it, mess with it?  Is it because in most of our society today, really good will never be quite good enough?  Some things are not meant to be better-ized, they are meant to be enjoyed for who and what they are. That’s the key element that makes them authentically, imperfectly perfect—and this includes you!  Yes, you, and those little quirks make “you” the best you there is. The road to learning to love yourself and to love yourself through everything isn’t a destination, it is a journey.   We are not doing anything to be better, or get better, or find better, or even do better. We are being. That’s all. It is in being that you can allow and receive, not in doing or, better yet, not in doing better.  You don’t have to DO anything or Better-ize anything to be who you are and to love who you are right now. You are worthy of not improving!

Authenticity is the new black. Accepting yourself where you are right now is the first step to loving where you are headed. If you want to love yourself even more tomorrow than the day before, you will serve yourself best by starting with who and where you are right now. There is nothing about you that you need to better-ize, but there is a ton of amazing treasure inside of you to discover!

So, for the betterment of the human consciousness, I implore you to consider diving into the treasure of you right now and realize that you have already arrived, there is no “there” to get to.  You need do nothing but love yourself as kindly as possible through this journey. If you prefer to have a Pumpkin Spice latte, don’t worry about me being a part of your journey, because you won’t have to share that particular deliciousness with me—not even one tiny sip.  And the next time you’re tempted to buy into that unattainable perfectionism, please reconsider and remember you’re already BETTER than that!

Elizabeth Lindsay is a clairvoyant spiritual light-warrior and counselor at  www.12listen.com Elizabeth is a creative soul whose life journey and passion has evolved into helping others empower themselves. Elizabeth has the innate ability to tune in and tap into your spirit guides and energy to offer clear concise answers and tools that give you a fresh perspective as well as raise your vibration. Elizabeth’s goal is to always help you get unstuck, move forward and leave her company feeling confident in the knowing that you are honoring yourself and your soul’s growth.  Be it a need for clearing a vibrational blockage, a quick answer, or an in-depth dive into the realms of possibilities she will help guide you into your personal power and strength