A DUMB LITTLE WEED

Last week I was doing this cool meditation. I was really relaxed and feeling my inner woo woo and all, when I decided to ask myself a question. What can I do to get my business to the next level, I mean really crackalackin? An image came to mind of a yellow dandelion. A weed, essentially. That's dumb, I thought. That can't be right. Then I remembered that I am not supposed to judge whatever images come in, no matter how stupid they may seem. Just when I decided to leave the lame dandelion alone, the image morphed into a white poofy dandelion, the kind with all the little seed pods that drift away on a breeze. I got a very woo woo, non verbal message that told me something like- don't worry, your message is out there, and it is already done. All is as it should be. Kind of like my energy has already been sent out like the little white fluffs on a dandelion. The next night I had a dream that a dandelion poof blew up like a firecracker, sending little pieces all over the sky- and that amused me. I got a new client that day. Then I got another one. Later, I was telling my friend Martha about this dandelion business, and she told me she had just been trying to get a piece of clip art of something else, but all that would come up was a dandelion poof. With a couple of little pods flying away. Huh, that's interesting... She asked me how many poofs flew away in the first image. Two I said. Hmmm, two puffs, two new clients. More interesting. Then, I got this weird picture in my mind of this bully guy that has been harassing my sons. Since we were going full on weird, I decided to look up his address. He lives on Dandelion Way. No joke. What the hell does that mean? I have no idea. Then I told my friend Mary about all these weird synchronicities, and she said her new blog post has a picture of a dandelion poof on it. Seriously? Seriously, she said. Then I was sharing this weirdness with another friend, and she said she has been taking classes at a place called Dandelion Tea. Come on? Really? Really. Which leads me to my blog's new look. I didn't like the old template, but my web/blog design skills are pitiful, so I'd been avoiding it. Today, I got a bug up my butt to do it, and while looking at the different ready made templates- this one came up. With the white dandelion. At this point, I'm not going to feign shock. Of course it's a dandelion. What do I take all of this to mean? Well, I take it to mean that I am on the right track- my own starlit path. Yes, I should keep meditating- even if I suck at it. I am doing what I should to get my business to grow, primarily by just BEING. Just being me. The bully is here to teach me something- even if I detest him. My clients will come at the exact right time for us both. My friends are all loving witnesses to my journey. And- I should blog more. All that from a dumb little weed.

WHAT FEELING ARE YOU TRYING TO BUY?

WHAT FEELING ARE YOU TRYING TO BUY? So you know when you are driving your car and somehow inexplicably find yourself at the mall? Maybe your car drives to the mall by itself a lot. When you walk into the air conditioned, brightly lit shopping mecca, you take a deep breath and sigh- knowing you are in for a really great distraction, errr...shopping experience. Ooooh, the shoes literally sparkle, and are in so many colors and the handbags beckon you with their shiny patents and luxurious suedes. Maybe you go to the cosmetics department and see a new red Chanel lipstick and think, "I NEED this, I DESERVE this. It will make me look pretty." STOP!!! What feeling are you trying to buy right now? Ladies, I am not picking on you. Really, I'm not. I am completely aware that men do this too. Maybe with clothes, or tools, or gadgets, or random sporting equipment. It's just that I am a woman, so I write what I know. Now back to the lipstick counter. What feeling are you trying to buy right now? That may sound like an odd question. "Duh, I'm not trying to buy a feeling, I'm just trying to buy a damn lipstick!" you may say. Au contraire, mon frer. Do you know what one luxury item sold more units than any other during the great depression and world wars? Lipstick. Red lipstick. Think about it. Put on a happy face! Lipstick sales doubled right after 9/11. Lipstick is a luxury. It's unnecessary, but somehow makes women feel pretty, pampered and desirable, all at the same time. All those good feelings in a shiny little tube. I ought to know, I've got about 87 of them in my makeup drawer right now. It's called "The Lipstick Effect." According to copperwiki.org, "The Lipstick Effect theory assumes that, in a crisis or when consumer trust in the economy is low, people will buy goods that have less impact on their available funds. Women buy lipstick and men spend money on items like gadgets rather than new cars." Do you see where I am going with this? Yes, sometimes we shop because we really do need underwear. But a lot of the time, we shop to get a pick me up. We are literally buying a feeling. It could be "These jeans are so in- I feel fashionable, hip, sexy and cool." Or, "These shoes just scream rich! Feel the leather!" Before you got to the mall, maybe you felt frumpy. Or depressed. Or poor. But after you buy your pick me up item, you feel, well...possibility. I am completely and totally guilty of this behavior. Really, just ask my husband. But, what I have noticed is that now that I shop with awareness- I spend less money. I buy less crap. I drag home less feelings in a bag. This is very good for my bank account, and my marriage come to think of it. How, you ask, have I changed my shopaholic ways? Well, I ask myself, what feeling am I trying to buy right now? And then, what can I do to give myself that feeling without buying this ____(insert your pick me up object here). Depending on the day- I could be trying to buy...comfort, wealth, sexiness, organization, self esteem, warmth, calm, adventure, freedom, a sense of belonging, camouflage, glamour, confidence, happiness, attractiveness, power, pampering, or even, love. Once I identify the feeling, I try to figure out a way to get the feeling, without leaving my money at the store. If I am looking for comfort, I can go home, curl up with a blanket and read a good book. If I'm looking for a sense of belonging, I can spend time with a friend or my family. I suppose that depends on who whether your family makes you feel warm and fuzzy or not, but you get the gist. Sometimes I buy the comfort sweater and power pumps, sometimes I don't. Just think about what you really need, and it may just be something money can't buy. ~Keisha Gallegos, Certified Life Coach, Former Shopaholic