I have a formal event coming up in a few months and of course I am already looking for the perfect outfit to wear to it. Because, that’s just what I do. I plan out all of my outfits weeks and even months in advance. From formal events to more casual Girls Night Out, I always have a plan.
Anyway, enough about my Type A personality. I fell in love with a gown almost immediately, but the price tag did NOT love me back. Major bummer.
So over the course of a few weeks I began looking for something else. Something that felt just as inspired and fun. Basically mirroring the vision of me in THAT dress, that I had created for myself in my head.
And as you can imagine, nothing came close. I tried to like other dresses. Don’t get me wrong, there are a million beautiful dresses, but this particular one, was the one I wanted.
I happened to mention this to my friend Heather who agreed that it was something special. When I said unfortunately I couldn’t swallow the price tag she came back to me with this:
EBay has the exact dress in your size, brand new with tags still on it, in the bag for 1/4 of the price.”
SHUT THE FRONT DOOR. It’s a January Fashion MIRACLE!
I immediately logged onto Ebay and there it was. In all of it’s beautiful, brand new, meant for me glory.
So I did what any rationale woman would do. I checked and triple checked every code and number you could imagine to make sure it was authentic and what I wanted. Then I added to cart and did a major happy dance.
Designer on budget! It really doesn’t get any better than that!
Then I started thinking about how it hadn’t even occurred to me to look at Ebay. I just assumed because the dress was on a cool website and a new release, that I wouldn’t be able to find it for less anywhere else.
It stopped me dead in my tracks. How often have I done that in the past?
How often have I just assumed that something wouldn’t work for me and moved on?
Probably more times than I even realize. It took fashion to make me realize that the answer doesn’t ever have to be NO.
How many times have you just assumed that something wasn’t meant for you?
Think about it. Have you ever thought that about finding love, making lots of money, changing up your style, or getting into killer shape?
I mean I am sure we can all come up with tons of examples where we have said, oh well, that’s just not meant for me.
But the truth is, it totally can be for you!
How? Well, by thinking Ebay of course!
This is what I took away from my Ebay experience:
There is always another way.
Marie Forleo likes to say “everything is figureoutable”. And I will be honest, every time I hear that statement, I kind of think um, ok. But you know what, girlfriend is absolutely right!
There is always another approach, another angle or another tactic to try to help you get what you want out of life.
It just takes creative thinking and a willingness to try something new.
A perfect example outside of Ebay is the fitness journey I have been on the last year. I decided to ditch the exhausting hours of cardio and HIIT that had been ingrained in my head as the only way to get or stay fit. You have to exhaust yourself right? At the time, I was feeling so drained in my life. I couldn’t find the energy for that kind of exercise so instead I focused solely on weight lifting.
I figured it would at the very least get me moving and jumpstart me back into my cardio life. Well, it never did that. What it did do was help me lose almost 10lbs, drop dress sizes and make me feel stronger than I ever have in my life. I NEVER imagined that lifting weights would do that for me.
Network and talk to others about what you need/want.
You never know who might be able to help you reach your end goal. If it wasn’t for my friend Heather – who happens to be a great shopper and an even better friend – I would never have even thought about Ebay as an option.
One simple conversation changed everything.
And now that I think of it, my husband was the one who encouraged me to start weight lifting.
The same can be said for what you are searching for or needing in your life. If you are struggling with your business, maybe networking with other entrepreneurs can inspire you or suggest resources that help.
Perhaps you really want to lose that last 10lbs of baby weight. A friend or trainer can turn you onto a different kind of workout that makes you feel fabulous. The point is, talking about your struggles rather than trying to hide them can make a huge difference in overcoming them.
Do your research and be smart about how you invest your money.
Had I decided to just bite the bullet and buy the dress, I would have spent way more money than I needed to spend.
Yes, my end result would be the same, but I would undoubtedly have had to sacrifice something else in my life to have it.
By taking the time to research exactly what I wanted and looking over endless options I knew that when I found my dress on Ebay it was worth every penny they were selling it for!
Knowing the value of what you want helps you feel more confident in making your choice.
I was able to get what I wanted without having to sacrifice anything else. Totally killing it in the spending department!
Think about how that same principle can apply to your life. What tools, resources, programs or experiences are you interested in investing in to help you reach your end goals. Is what you plan to purchase a good value? Consider your return on investment, the success or joy it will bring you versus the reality of what you are able to spend.
When you feel confident in your choices it makes it easier to make smart decisions!
And remember ladies, you’re not fully dressed until you sparkle!
