Last month, I started walking again. Going for 3-5+ mile walks almost every day – except when it was bitterly cold. Being outside, walking along our back country roads in silence fed my soul and strengthened my body.
The only thing I didn’t like was wearing my heavy hiking boots. They’re okay when the roads are snow-covered. But when they’re dry, I’d rather wear my running shoes. The problem is that they’re mesh and my toes get cold. I realized I needed a pair of walking/hiking shoes that had solid uppers to keep my toes warm. So I Googled “best women’s hiking shoes” to explore my options. Unfortunately, they all had mesh uppers – except for ONE.
Fast forward to last Sunday…
Dan and I drove to Milwaukee to have lunch at Grimaldi’s – my FAVORITE pizza place – with friends who were driving up from Chicago. We’ve been friends Steve & Mary Kay for more than 30 years. Mary Kay mentioned that Steve needed some new jeans so, after lunch, we walked to the nearby L.L. Bean store. While they explored the jeans, I walked over to the shoe department – where a pair of shoes immediately caught my eye.
It was the EXACT pair I had found online, i.e., Oboz Sapphire trail shoes. Solid (not mesh uppers). All sorts of support. Made by HAND – not machine. Designed in Bozeman, Montana – where Dan and I spent part of our honeymoon.
Regularly $150 – they were on sale for $99!
The moment I tried them on, I felt excited. The arch support was perfect. It felt like my ankles and knees let out a sigh of deep pleasure. I walked around asking Dan to check that my ankles were straight since I tend to prone. They were. These shoes were EXACTLY what I wanted. I knew I could walk for miles comfortably – without cold toes.
Of course, I wanted to get them. In the past, I would have immediately done so without a second thought. It’s a pattern that has gotten me into trouble (and debt) MANY times in my life. 🙁
But $100 for shoes was not something we had planned for this month. We’d just spent $1,000 for property taxes and propane to heat our house. Given the doctor visits & heart tests on tap for me, we’re expecting another $3,000 in medical bills before insurance takes over. And our mechanic still hasn’t been able to fix Dan’s car – which may mean another $4,000 or more for a new (used) car.
Needless to say, making conscious and wise spending choices is doubly important right now. Which is what had me wonder if I should skip buying the shoes and “put up” with wearing my hiking boots or having cold toes. And yet, the moment I saw them on the shelf, I felt an energetic, intuitive charge. It was as if I had been led to them – from the moment I claimed what I wanted to this unplanned venture into L.L. Bean 100 miles from home.
In the past, I’ve confused “conscious and wise” choices with choices made from scarcity. Choices made from FEAR of making a mistake or not having enough money down the road. From FEAR of being selfish, immature or compulsive.
Conversely, I’ve also made scarcity-based choices from the FEAR of being deprived and not getting what I want. From the FEAR of not looking good or “abundant”.
So, walking through L.L. Bean last Sunday, I asked myself AND God, “What is the best choice for me? What is the wise, conscious and ABUNDANT choice – the one rooted in the knowing that I am part of Something Bigger than me?”
And what kept coming up was the energetic connection I felt when I saw them on the shelf – followed by the realization they were same ones I read about online. Plus the fact that they were the ONLY shoes on sale that day.
I ran the numbers in my head while mentally reviewing our kitchen pantry. I was pretty confident we could save enough on our planned grocery expenses to pay for the shoes. I had a few other ideas as well. But the clincher came from Dan. As I was walking around in the shoes, I apparently had the biggest grin on my face. In truth, I felt like I was grinning from my soul. Dan saw it and said, “You have that GRIN again… let’s do it!”
And that’s when MORE magic happened…
Our purchase qualified us for $10 off our next purchase. Without another L.L. Bean near us, I again walked around the store and discovered a cotton T-shirt in my FAVORITE color of blue.
It was on sale for $10 – which meant I got it for FREE!
More magic occurred the next day. During our weekly “money meeting”, I went online to pay our Costco Visa bill. That’s when I noticed a message saying that our Rewards Certificate was in the mail.
When I clicked the link to check the amount, we learned it’s going to be $148.55!
Standing in L.L. Bean, I knew that one way to pay for the shoes while staying true to our spending targets included spending less on groceries. I was right! I just didn’t know then that this certificate was on its way – supporting us to do so without eating rice and beans the rest of the month. LOL!
This, my friend, is often how things work when we learn how to trust ourselves and trust in Something Bigger that we are part of and that is at work in our lives, i.e., God, Spirit, Source.
Yes, I had to be willing to do my part – beginning with CLAIMING my desire.
Doing my part also included being committed to using our money consciously and wisely. My part also included asking for guidance as to what the best choice was. And then, bottom line, it came down to me making the choice to honor my desire while simultaneously being creative in honoring our current limits.
It all came down to trust. Trusting myself AND trusting beyond what I could do and see.
As I practiced abundance, I continued to experience abundance.
Abundance in the form of lunch with friends and shoes and T-shirts and Costco Reward certificates.
But more than that, abundance in the joy, health and well-being I experience during and from my long walks wearing my new shoes.
Speaking of which, guess what I’m about to do? 🙂