Extra•Ordinary ~ Resist Edition
On consumption, control, and the myth of more.
“The beauty of independence, departure, actions that rely on themselves.” ~ Walt Whitman
Video by: Tina Derusha | “Throbber Loop” - île d’Offard, Saumur, France
My dear one,
This month, I want to open with a couple of questions that have been playing on repeat in my mind for a while now. Maybe you’ve wrestled with them, too. I think they’re worth sitting with, worth opening up for deeper conversation:
What do we give away when we accept quick solutions, convenience, and comfort?
What is enough—in the context of being, doing, wanting, and having?
We’ve been sold a toxic Capitalist bill of goods, and the messaging is relentless. It’s being fed to us on platforms and systems designed to divide—economically, physically, spiritually. The equation they peddle is simple: Consumption = Belonging + Comfort + Security.
It’s a lie.
We’re being conditioned into a passive state, trained to be unquestioning, unhinged, disembodied consumers of whatever gets shoveled our way. And it’s everywhere, delivered 24/7 by the Jabba the Hutt titans of social/media, politics, technology, healthcare, and commerce. Our lives have been repackaged into an endless loop of transactions, where even our most basic needs now require a subscription—ensuring we stay hooked, indefinitely.
And for what? The illusion of convenience? A dopamine drip designed to keep us in a perpetual state of: Fear of being left behind. Fear of missing out. Fear of being irrelevant.
This conditioning plays on every sensitivity baked into our cultural norms. We’re taught that more is always more. But is it? Are we really better off with all this consumption?
Because here’s what I see:
Small businesses getting squeezed out of existence.
Attention spans obliterated.
Relationships fraying, devolving into performative exchanges.
People reduced to commodities, optimized for engagement—no space for real, raw humanity.
Memes replacing nuanced communication.
I want out.
I’m microdosing discomfort with a slow, intentional detox from the machine. I call it parasitic-industry bloodletting—eliminating the most toxic companies, platforms, and behaviors that keep us tethered to mindless consumption. And I’m doing it deliberately.
I’ve already departed—or have an exit strategy in place—for many companies and services, starting with what I call the ‘FAN-Bomb Trifecta’: Facebook, Amazon, Netflix. Gone. Other behemoths on my list include Adobe, Target, Uber Eats, Airbnb, Shipt, and Google’s news feed and search engine. Instagram and YouTube are in my line of sight.
Instead, I’m choosing:
To shop independent and support small businesses.
To connect in real life, in ways that don’t require an algorithm.
To seek entertainment in books, art, and music that isn’t engineered for mass addiction.
It’s not about anarchy for the sake of it—it’s about agency. It’s about reclaiming the power that comes from intentional choices.
This is my way of stepping off the carnival ride—blinding lights, looping illusions—away from the warped funhouse of distortion and the insipid barkers enticing us to play rigged games we’ll never win for junk no one needs.
What about you? What are you unplugging from? Drop your thoughts in the comments section—let’s start some real talk.
Reviving sanity and humanity,
Tina
Practice
Eliminating What’s Clogging the Arteries of Your Life
Your choices aren’t entirely your own. The way you shop, scroll, subscribe, and consume has been engineered by industries that shape culture, dictate trends, and reinforce dependency.
The biggest players—Amazon, Meta, Google, OpenAI, Apple, Microsoft—aren’t just offering products. They decide what’s visible, what’s accessible, and what’s normalized. Their systems aren’t built to serve you; they’re built to keep you hooked, subscribed, and reliant.
This is about conditioning—training you to accept that convenience, entertainment, and connection must come through them.
But you don’t have to play by their rules.
One thing you can do right now:
Audit one area of your life where you feel locked into a cycle of consumption.
Cut a subscription you don’t truly need.
Make one purchase from a local business instead of a mega-retailer.
Swap a mindless scroll for real, offline engagement.
Small shifts break big chains. Start now.
Perspective
How to Break Free from the Matrix - Welcome to the Real World - Infinite Waters:
Pep Talk
Freedom is built in small, intentional choices. Every dollar spent, every click made, every habit reinforced is either feeding the machine or fueling your autonomy.
What’s one area where you can reclaim control today?
Because life is richer, sharper, and more real when you’re no longer tethered to systems designed to keep you passive.
Hot Tip: Convenience isn’t always your friend. Just because something is easy doesn’t mean it’s good. Corporations bank on your inertia, betting that you won’t cancel, won’t question, won’t push back. Prove them wrong.
Power Statement
I choose intention over being complacent. I reject passive consumption. My time, my money, my attention—these are mine to direct, not theirs to harvest.
I appreciate your inquiry for helping folks break the spell and congruent actions with your values. Our dollars are a form of a vote, spending this currency in alignment with our values sends a powerful message.
Great food for thought and insight Tina! Dipping my toes into what works for my situation which includes being more mindful to support local, no posting on fb, etc and don’t even know how instagram or twitter/X works. I have had to “divorce” a couple of friends who require more maintenance to keep than I have in my tank to fuel. This allows me to connect with positive, joyful people while still supporting my treasured friends and immediate family. I want to be present and be a good listener.
I have much room for improvement and learning. Always choose joy!