Monday, February 27, 2012

Retail Therapy



Hello High Heelers

I am horrified to share that I bought seven pairs of shoes this weekend. Seven pairs! To the mathematically challenged, that means I can wear a brand new pair of shoes every single day for the next week – including the weekend. (Today I am wearing the cute red ones which are now known as my ‘Dorothy shoes.’) On top of that, I also bought a new handbag, a skirt, a top and numerous bits and bobs for my house. It was a little bit excessive, I must confess.

Why? Well, because in a flight of anger and loneliness I went shopping on Saturday – and then again on Sunday. I knew there was money in my account, I knew Monday was payday and so the spending beast was unleashed in all its powerful glory. I was running up and down the stores, exhausted, but driven - like Rocky in the movie scene where the ‘Eye of the Tiger’ soundtrack plays. In fact, I think I was humming the tune.

When you think about ‘shame shopping’ it’s a perfectly logical thing to do. Once the car boot (which is a ‘trunk’ to our American Heelers) is filled with pretty things, the mind is tricked into feeling filled with happiness. It creates balance between your emotional and physical world. But that feeling is only temporary. Don’t let it get you! After that gem of psychological reasoning I am thinking of becoming a therapist – don’t tell my boss, Natalie Maroun! Shhhh!

Now the point to this story is not the kind of point that comes at the end of a high heel – ok, well, in some way it is. The point is that many of us default to a comfort when we’re feeling our worst. Some people eat, others starve. Some take their frustrations out on the next poor unsuspecting minion that crosses their path. Some bury their heads in the sand and pretend that everything is ok, when it’s not. I shop. And although my shoe cupboard is really happy at the moment, my credit cards smell like burnt plastic (which has a fragrance that smells incredibly similar to ‘Buyer’s Remorse’).

Sometimes it’s good to ‘let your hair down’, but that doesn’t mean blowing your budget, putting your health at risk or denying yourself a chance to fix what needs to be fixed. I think I should try and practice literally letting my hair down next time I feel bad. In addition, I’m certain that a nice bath, a visit with friends or a fun movie could have had the same outcome – at a fraction of the cost.

This week let’s all try and tap into that little thing we should all possess – responsibility. Let’s take responsibility for the situations we’re in and the way we react to them. Let’s take responsibility for our finances, our health and our work. Let’s just be responsible but find all the best ways to live life at the same time.

A clever man I work with (named Jannie :)) told me today that I should always keep my heels, head and standards high! I think that’s a great statement to live by. Let’s walk tall, be responsible and stick to our standards.

Have a wonderful week.

Cheers,
Jo

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