Saying No to an "Attitude of Entitlement" by Thommi Odom

I had no problem saying YES to a new pair of shoes, a vacation with the girls, a meal at a 5-star restaurant, an extra glass of wine especially if I had a bad day. I felt like I deserved it. I earned a college degree - four if you are counting. I work hard.  I am a therapist and preach self-care to my clients. I gotta practice what I preach, right? I deserve to treat myself, damn it!

This entitlement attitude lead me to establishing some bad habits.  I used food and other material things to reward myself which landed me in debt…emotionally (short term satisfaction), physically (I gained weight from overeating/drinking), and financially (goes without saying).  

I love the way Finance Girl describes this faulty thinking and entitlement attitude in this blog post.

In the past 18 months, I moved 5+ times.  I lost count.  Don't judge me.  I was not evicted or running away from the po-po.  Life happened.  I will leave it at that.  Before that, I was settled in one place for 10+ years.  In the packing, unpacking, repacking cycle, I realized that I had too much stuff.  My boot collection takes up an entire closet. My scarf collection consumes two drawers.  My hat collection,…well you get it. I have a lot of stuff.  

Not one to set a New Year's resolution, I challenged myself not to purchase any clothes in 2016.  Many friends saw this as extreme.  They haven't seen my closets or credit card balance.  Disclaimer just in case you see me in Nordstrom's shoe department: I did not say I would not buy shoes.  I said clothes. Yes, I know I have a lot of shoes, but I believe in incremental steps. Go away. 

This personal challenge has forced me to say YES to self-care in a different language.  I couldn't just whip out my credit card and make a purchase in the name of self-care.  I had to think of ways to say YES to honoring myself that did not cause me to resent it later.  I pulled out a few books that I previously purchased but never made time to read and made time.  I started walking more and exploring new neighborhoods. I also stumbled across this interesting blog that identified rewards that aren't food or shopping related…how timely!

Here I am 6 weeks into my challenge, and I have not purchased clothes or shoes for that matter.  Neither am I tempted.  I am enjoying being more intentional in honoring my self-care and not limiting it to just days when I am stressed or after a huge success.  

Do I still have an entitlement attitude?  YES! 

I am entitled to making time to honor myself every day – even if it is just for 10 minutes.

I say YES to my mental health.  

I say YES to my financial fitness.   By the way, I am on track to pay off the credit card within the next two months!  All my “extra” cash went to the debt.  

I say YES to my physical health.  

I say YES!

P.S. You can learn more about me and subscribe to blog at www.thommiodom.com