I love a new tube of lipstick. I love to buy well-made
clothing and admittedly some cheaply made clothing too. My last time buying
shoes, I bought 8 pair in a weekend. In my defense I purchased 3 for me, one
for my mother and four for my son. Of those the obscene amount of shoes I purchased for the Bubba, one of those pairs were new soccer
cleats for this season. (But if you have to qualify why you do something your
guilty conscious is speaking to you. And I'm sounding a little like my mother now.) Bottom line is I like to make myself
feel good with my disposable income. Aside from the comfort I get from knowing
that my bills are paid on time, and the sense of responsibility I get from
exercising the restraint I should in avoiding eating out frequently, or
attending every event, or even frequently making unnecessary purchases, I get
great satisfaction in making good investments.
It’s no secret that I have big plans for myself. I have
actually shared those big plans with a few people who have been nothing but
supportive along the way. But today, I
truly feel like I have done two very important things to invest in my future.
And I feel that if you are going to invest in someone why not invest in
yourself. To invoke some imagery here, I single-handedly add some additional sunshine and water to the seeds I have planted. What I did today might
even qualify as fertilizer. (It’s amazing that I immediately thought of vegetation
for my example considering I have a black thumb and not a green one. Don’t leave
your plants with me if you want them to live.) Either way you describe it, I
feel good about the investment I made into myself and even though I was nervous
about what I was doing at first, I took the leap of faith because as Benjamin
Franklin so poignantly spoke it, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained”. I guess today we can translate that into “YOLO,
Son!”… or not.
So here’s a little nugget for those of us who are at a
crossroads, who don’t really know what to do or where to put that little bit of
change you saved. Spend that money on you and I don't mean shoes. (Oh the hypocrisy, but I digress....) Spend that money on something that
is either going to further a cause, your career, or your health. Invest in
yourself. Only you and your positive attitude can guarantee a positive return
on your investment. Take care of the
seeds you are planting by making investments along the way and most importantly keep at it; your goals that is. Don’t stop
your pursuits for no one or nothing.
I really could use a new handbag, though. ;-)