I found the entire idea revolting! I loved holiday shopping…but was hugely anti-Black Friday. I can remember countless conversations (if you wanna call sitting and bitching and moaning with people conversation) complaining about the whole Black Friday crowds and crazy hours. I was happy to pay full price and remove myself from all that.
Then something changed!
Actually, the real truth is, I didn’t even notice it changed until YESTERDAY when I was doing my “Hour of Power” run and it hit me…I totally LOVE BLACK FRIDAY now!
Until yesterday I totally forgot that the OLD Stacey “Ice Princess” hated Black Friday.
I LOVE Black Friday! I love going out in the middle of the night to my favorite store and shopping with all the yummy peeps! I love getting excited over the coolest stuff at the craziest prices, and filling my cart with all kinds of holiday goodies! I love the smiles on everybody’s face, the playful chatting, and the fun of it all! I love it!
So I asked myself “what changed?”
Answer: I changed!
There’s nothing “comfortable” about Black Friday shopping!
SCENARIO: You have to get up in the middle of the night. I don’t know about where you live, but it’s COOOLLLDDDD here! You have to get dressed and go out to the stores. Sometimes there are ridiculously long lines to wait in. And you don’t always get the THING you really wanted to get at that crazy low price. There are tons of reasons why shopping on Black Friday is a pain in the ASS!
But I don’t live my life for comfort anymore! Seeking comfort is not my goal! So I see the same scenario differently…
SCENARIO REFRAME: I get to get out of bed in the middle of the night….Paul and the kids are sound asleep so I actually get to go to my favorite store BY MYSELF! No interruptions, no one asking me for everything on the shelf, no asking “can we go home?”….I get to shop ALONE! (a little spa day for mommy).
It’s SO CRISP and STILL outside in the middle of the night where I live. I never get to appreciate the stillness and the beauty of 3 am…it’s magnificent. I feel blessed to witness it while I stand on my driveway in front of the house I am so grateful to live in!
I love getting into snuggly clothes with my hair in a ponytail to go shopping because that’s totally cool on Black Friday! NICE!
There are SO many people at the store on Black Friday. It’s so fun to smile at so many people and have them smile back! It’s like being at a PARTY with 1,000 people all crazy just like me! NICE!
The adventure is thrilling…sometimes, I get exactly what I was “hunting” and it’s a score! Other times, I find something I never even knew existed before and it’s way cooler!!!! Black Friday shopping for a freaky crazy girl like me is Bad Ass! I love it!!!!
Same human experience seen by two different mindsets! AMAZING isn’t it! The same experience can be seen so differently by two people! And both people were me!!! I know, this is crazy shit and I love it!
Old Stacey prioritized comfort, was cynical, and didn’t really like most people…she hated Black Friday. But she didn’t just hate it…she hated it while she bitched and moaned about those who went, judging them! It would be embarrassing to admit that to you but I’m not the slightest bit embarrassed! That’s who I used to be…and I’m wildly proud of who I am now!
I do not feel any embarrassment or regret over who I used to be. When I operated as THAT Stacey (Ice Princess) I wasn’t happy at all, so I was living out my own consequences! The universe is perfect that way!
Today, I seek out growth and I understand the “discomfort” that comes with constantly moving through comfort zones into my next level! I do NOT live for comfort! I LOVE PEOPLE! All people! People are fun! Even grumpy people are fun! It’s all good!
And the energy on Black Friday is awesome! As a very high energy, sunny, vibrant chickie…I dig that!
Please understand, I’m not saying that YOU have to like Black Friday too!
I’m only using Black Friday to illustrate a point!
Our experience of the world is the meaning we give the experience…
not the experience itself!
Do you see that??? That is crazy empowering baby!
Said differently….
Your environment and circumstances is not causing your pain…
the meaning you are giving it is causing your pain!
Change your meaning (reframe it) and shift out of pain! The power is yours!
As Glenda the Good Witch says…”the power has always been yours, it was within you the whole time!”
So darling…where is the pain? What’s causing you discomfort in your life right now?
What if it was not the situation, environment or person you just described that is the actual CAUSE of the pain? What if, instead, it was the meaning you are giving it?
It’s deceptively inviting to treat the symptom! Until you treat the cause,
the problem will persist for you!
Sending love,
Stacey
"Our experience of the world is the meaning we give the experience…
not the experience itself!
…
Said differently….
Your environment and circumstances is not causing your pain…
the meaning you are giving it is causing your pain!
Change your meaning (reframe it) and shift out of pain! The power is yours!"
Love this!
I love this Stacey!!! We have re-framed so much of our mindset around the holidays including setting some much needed intentions and drawing some even more needed boundaries!
I am chuckling at your Black Friday experience for two reasons. The first is when our daughter was a baby, I loved to go grocery shopping at 9pm after she had gone to sleep. No doubt my husband was happily watching sports while I was on my “spa” getaway at the store – happy and free – yay! Pretty sure that was a win-win.
The second reason is that this year for the first time ever on a last minute whim, we participated in the Black Friday craziness. We chose to spend Thanksgiving in the city just us and had dinner out at a restaurant. It was so wonderful to have no obligations to anyone! As we left the restaurant at 5:30, Bob said Macy’s opens at 6pm. I said “Let’s just be crazy and do it!” So we did. We had the BEST time and I even purchased a beautiful holiday dress for our daughter at 60% off. So I am not sure I will be a part of the 3am crowd going forward but it sure was fun to say that we did Black Friday at Macy’s this year!
Haha Catherine!!! Your spa day at the grocery store! I totally get it! Love that you and Bob went Black Friday crazy this year!!! Thanks for sharing darling!!!! Love to you!
Thank you Devorah!!