I had first seen the star guardian weekender bag in the Pendleton catalog over the summer.
Then, I saw it again over Christmas break in the Pendleton outlet store for $75 less than full retail.
Still, I didn’t buy it.
In hindsight, I wish I had.
From the moment I saw that bag in the catalog, I knew I would have to have it one day. But with a $325 price tag, I knew it would have to be something I saved up for or bought with money I got for my birthday, Christmas or a business sale.
Has something like this ever happened to you?
You see something in the store or a catalog that you love instantly and at a gut level you know you have to have it.
But you talk yourself out of it because of the price or the timing or whatever story you feel like telling yourself that day. And then you can’t stop thinking about the damn thing for days, weeks, even months?
Thought so. Who hasn’t, right?
I’ve had a few encounters with this particular situation, the most recent one happening last summer when I saw the bear bag in the catalog.
Well, yesterday I finally broke down and bought one because:
Number one: I had some extra money from a sale I had recently made and
Number two: I suspected that if I didn’t buy one soon, Pendleton would stop making it and therefore, no longer sell the thing. (Right now they are still available on Amazon but it’s hard to say how long they’ll last.)
As I drove home with my new purchase next to me on the front seat, I thought about something a recent guest on my podcast shared with me. I loved the way he phrased the following situation and wanted to pass it on to you.
He said, “There’s nothing wrong with wanting the big house or the new car or the high-end country club membership. If any of those things is an expression of your joy, then why not go for it?” [You can listen to the full conversation here.]
“But…” and here’s where he hesitated for emphasis, “if you expect the thing — whatever the thing may be — the car, the house, the high-end country club membership — if you expect that thing to bring you joy, then that’s where the mistake is made.”
I rested my hand on top of the star guardian bag and acknowledged that having it is honestly an expression of my joy.
Of my love of bears.
Of my love of unique items that become signature pieces and part of my brand.
I didn’t buy the bag as a status symbol or a way to bring me more joy. It was the other way around, one-hundred percent.
And it should be that way in all parts of our life, don’t you think?
The work we do should be an expression of our joy versus a source that brings us joy.
The people we choose to hang around with. The hobbies and activities we pursue. The classes we take. Our adventures.
In an ideal world, yes. This concept would be true for everything.
Alas, we live in the real world. Not everything is going to be an expression of our joy. And that’s OK.
But for those special things, those special times that come along every once in awhile?
Why not flip the thinking from: what I’m about to do is going to bring me joy to what I’m about to do is an expression of my joy.
See the difference?
Like everything else, treat the experience like a mini experiment. Take lab notes. Compare and contrast. Before and after.
You might be surprised at how much better you feel.
Or not.
We are all different, after all.
One thing I know for sure:
I love my new star guardian bear bag from Pendleton and suspect that, for as long as I own it, it will express so much of the joy I have for life.
Right here. Right now.
If you’ve got a story like this, would love to hear it in the comments!
