You’re not (that) broke. Your perspective is though.
What is “Midwest nice meets no BS”? If you’ve visited (or moved to) the Midwest most have come to understand “Midwest nice” is the equivalent to “bless your heart” in the South. Google’s AI Overview describes it as:
"A cultural stereotype that describes Midwesterners as being overly polite, courteous, and friendly, but sometimes passive-aggressive. People who experience "Midwest Nice" may perceive Midwesterners as avoiding challenging topics or giving strong opinions in order to appear open and friendly.
For example, Midwesterners may speak politely to someone's face while expressing displeasure behind their back or through subtle, unkind actions. This can be described as "non-confrontationally addressing a situation that is subtle enough to be considered friendly"
Sounds fun, right?! The reason I add “meets no BS” is because while one of my core values is kindness — I also value frankness (e.g., directness). Ironically, neither of these fall directly in line with the definition of “Midwest nice. At, yet, if I were to rewrite the definition it’s exactly what I think it should include: polite, courteous, deeply-rooted in one’s values and direct. All this to say, I cannot seem to open YouTube, Google, or the like without seeing complaints about affordability.
At first glance, it seems everyone is struggling. I, too, have had the thought at times that “it has gotten bad”. I can’t seem to leave the grocery store with less than sixty dollars for a few, simple items. However, when I began to look more holistically at my life and those around me I began to realize the version of “bad” people seem to be describing is still good. So why, then, is every so broke?
They are not. I am not. We are not. Americans are simply used to spending more than they have coming in on things they consider needs but are actually wants. Americans have gotten so far away from truly living to recognize the complaint machine needs a tuning.
When I did a personal assessment of how I’m living while being “broke” — I can easily identify opportunities to cut costs through small changes. From weekly Starbucks drinks, my monthly trip to the nail salon, frivolous snacks from the grocery store, all the way down to the brand of paper towel and essentials we buy. Your girl is not broke. And neither are those around me. We’ve simply forgotten how to find joy in the simple life and recognize wealth, security and contentment does not come from things we amass.
This is not to dismiss or diminish those that are truly struggling to meet basic needs — housing, transportation, and daily food needs. I wholeheartedly agree this is a reality for some.
I’m talking about the majority of Americans — like those I view on socials — who have the luxury to go online to complain. Those who have the luxury to buy name brand toiletries, accessorize their homes and wardrobes with the latest trends, and try the newly released Starbucks drinks. Okay, okay… so what? How is this relevant to living in alignment with one’s True North? It is relevant because it is a reflection of not living with intention. To live within your means is to live with intention.
How do you live within your means? Live deliberately.
To begin, take an assessment of your physical items. To create more joy and ease you must begin to embrace the idea of letting go, slowing down, living with less. Give yourself time and space to enjoy your life.
Say goodbye to aspirational items. The book, the outfit, the item for one day, some day, the special circumstance, the dream house. Life is more joyful when you honor you are now rather than some day.
Remove the excess and clutter. We all have the extra spatula, the pants that don’t fit, the item for “some day”. Why? Let it go.
Say goodbye to busyness. Take 5-10 minutes to write down what your ideal morning and evening look like… maybe it isn’t the same every day and instead you’d like to create space for spontaneity. Build your days around making sure you have time to commit to living more in alignment with the ideal routine.
Release resentment, people pleasing, and overthinking. Periodt. “Resentment is like taking poison and hoping the other person will die.” People pleasing and overthinking are no different in that all lead to abandonment of self.
Create containers managing chaos. You do not need to respond to emails and messages, read the news and catch up every little thing. Instead, create a container for each of these activities: set aside 30 minutes for responding to all your emails, another 30 minutes for messages (maybe 2-3 times a day), etc.
When you move deliberately, as you check in with your intentions, you create an opportunity to listen to your heart’s calling. The thing about creating a well-lived life is if you learn to listen your happy life will find you.
