Retail Therapy & Words of Wisdom

I had this discussion with Shane the other day - the whole concept of retail therapy and whether it really makes you feel better. I don't think there are too many of us out there who don't feel good about buying something nice for ourselves once in a while. I don't advocate shopping to make yourself feel better but I can understand (like the whole comfort food thing) how some people resort to whatever will cheer them up in times of being in a bad place.

The big problem with shopping to feel better is that you often end up spending money you couldn't afford to spend in the first place - so while the payoff in the short term makes you feel better - once you realise you no longer have that money to pay bills you usually end up back in the depressed mood yet again. Pointless.... Same thing with the comfort food thing. And a lot of time part of the problem with those who turn to comfort food is being overweight. Chicken and Egg stuff in a way but you can't eliminate one without eliminating the other. I don't get why people continue to do that to themselves. I'll admit I've been a bit indulgent in the self pity department at times throughout my life. But at some point in time you have to stand up and take responsibility for who you are, what you look like AND your own actions. In the immortal words of the "great" Dr. Phil - you can't change what you don't acknowledge.....

However shopping when you can afford it. Now there's a whole different ballgame. And that's what Lakeisha and I did yesterday - a bit of retail therapy (well a whole bunch actually since it lasted about 6 hours!) that works because neither of us had to feel guilty about spending the money. Now there's a turnaround. I am now sporting a very nice new pair of shoes (not quite what I had intended to buy but too cute and cheap to pass up!), a couple of new tops, a jumper, and a few other bits and pieces, together with a broad smile that comes with having new things.




Yeah well OK not everyone's cup of tea - but I love them!

Feeling a bit under the weather this weekend. Aside from the dismal weather and a cold that is trying it's hardest to get the better of me. That coupled with a rather nasty nose bleed in the wee hours of Saturday morning (CSI would have loved using my ensuite as a murder scene at that particular moment - blood was everywhere...). I think it's my body trying to get out of the dental work planned for tomorrow. It has no chance. I actually want to get this work done, be healthy, look and feel better, and get on with the rest of my life.

I feel so much more positive and enthusiastic about life in general. I see almost on a day to day basis that there are far more options than I have been allowing myself to consider. And I now have someone else in my life who is telling me I am not making the most of what I have to offer, that I'm not backing myself enough, and who clearly is prepared to back me and encourage me to be more than I imagine myself. I keep thinking about something Frank used to say when we did radio together, along the lines of surrounding yourself with positive, motivated people and it can't help but rub off. And in the same vein, my new boss who's eloquence is perhaps not quite on the same level, but who's saying "You sleep with dogs, you wake up with fleas" kind of brings with it a similar message from the other perspective.

I love my dogs, but I hate the smell of flea rinse.......